By Samantha Pearson and Luciana Magalhaes 

Brazil began its Covid-19 vaccine rollout Sunday with the shot developed by China's Sinovac, minutes after its approval by regulators, promising to bring relief to a country that is struggling to cope with a surge in infections.

The country's health regulator, Anvisa, approved emergency use of the Chinese vaccine, known as CoronaVac, as well as the shot developed by AstraZeneca PLC and Oxford University.

The ruling follows a bitter tug of war between President Jair Bolsonaro and São Paulo's powerful state governor, João Doria, to secure the first vaccines for the country of more than 210 million people.

Gov. Doria, who is expected to run for president next year, has led a partnership with Chinese company Sinovac Biotech Ltd. to test and produce CoronaVac in São Paulo, criticizing what he has called a "genocidal" lack of action by Mr. Bolsonaro.

The dispute comes as the country's average daily death toll approaches 1,000 people, with scientists warning that a new variant that likely emerged in the Amazon could be partly responsible for a recent surge in infections. For the past week, Brazil has registered an average of more than 50,000 new cases of the disease each day -- the highest since the pandemic began.

Write to Samantha Pearson at samantha.pearson@wsj.com and Luciana Magalhaes at Luciana.Magalhaes@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 17, 2021 14:09 ET (19:09 GMT)

By Samantha Pearson 

Brazilian health regulator Anvisa voted Sunday to approve the use of the country's first Covid-19 vaccines, China's CoronaVac and the shot developed by AstraZeneca PLC and Oxford University, raising spirits in a nation that is struggling to cope with a surge in infections.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 17, 2021 13:38 ET (18:38 GMT)

The International Monetary Fund projects Chinese state-sector reform could improve Chinese productivity and lift overall GDP growth to 6.5% in 2022 from 5.7%, as estimated by the IMF. "China's Economic Recovery Belies a Lingering Productivity Challenge" at 7 a.m. ET incorrectly said the IMF estimated the improved productivity would lift GDP to 6% in 2022 from 5.2%.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 17, 2021 12:52 ET (17:52 GMT)

Jenny Chan, an assistant professor at Hong Kong Polytechnic University was incorrectly identified as an associate professor, and China's labor law stipulates that a working week shouldn't exceed 40 hours. "In China, Tech-Worker Deaths Spark Online Backlash" at 8 a.m. ET, incorrectly said that Ms. Chan was an associate professor and that the working week shouldn't exceed 44 hours.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 17, 2021 11:19 ET (16:19 GMT)