Brazil sees 1,803 COVID-19 deaths; Chinese vaccine found 50.7% effective against variant

FILE PHOTO: A patient who died from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is transported to the morgue at a field hospital set up at Dell'Antonia sports gym in Santo Andre, on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, Brazil April 7, 2021. REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil on Sunday recorded 1,803 new COVID-19 deaths, as a large study found that a Chinese vaccine that has become the linchpin in the country's vaccination campaign is 50.7% effective against the infectious new homegrown variant known as P1.

Brazil, which has in recent weeks become the global epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, saw over 37,000 new cases, the Health Ministry said on Sunday. With over 353,000 deaths, Latin America's biggest country has the second highest coronavirus death toll in the world, after the United States.