COVID-19: What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic on 19 March

1. How COVID-19 is affecting the globe

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have now passed 121.8 million globally, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. The number of confirmed deaths stands at more than 2.69 million. More than 400 million vaccination doses have been administered globally, according to Our World in Data.

France has imposed a month-long lockdown in parts of the country a bid to stop the spread of the variant first detected in Britain, which now accounts for some 75% of cases. It comes as the country reported 35,000 new cases on Thursday.

The Philippines has approved Russia’s Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, the country’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Friday.

India reported 39,726 new coronavirus cases on Friday, its highest tally since 30 November. The rising cases was led by a record daily increase in Maharashtra, where authorities have introduced new restrictions.

The United States has administered 115,730,008 doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the country as of Thursday morning and distributed 151,108,445 doses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Hungary’s daily new coronavirus infections hit a new record at 10,759 on Friday, the government said on its COVID-19 information website.

2. AstraZeneca vaccine deemed 'safe and effective' by European Medicines Agency

The European Medicines Agency has said the benefits of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine in protecting people from COVID-19-related death or hospitalisation outweigh the possible risks, following an investigation.

Reports of rare brain blood clots had prompted more than a dozen nations to suspend use of the shot. The European Medicines Agency's (EMA) investigated 30 cases of unusual blood disorders, with the review covering 20 million people given the shot in the UK and European Economic Area.

“This is a safe and effective vaccine,” EMA director Emer Cooke told a briefing. “If it were me, I would be vaccinated tomorrow.”

Germany, France and other European nations announced plans to resume using the vaccine following the announcement.