US dollar edges down amid coronavirus uncertainty

The US dollar declined modestly as traders continued to focus on rising coronavirus cases and weigh their impact on the economic recovery.

The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six major peers, was down 0.10 per cent at 97.1762.

In late New York trading on Friday, the euro was up to $1.1244 from $1.1234 in the previous session, and the British pound increased to $1.2476 from $1.2463 in the previous session. The Australian dollar increased to $0.6942 from $0.6922, Xinhua reported.

The US dollar bought 107.47 Japanese yen, lower than 107.55 Japanese yen of the previous session. The US dollar decreased to 0.9448 Swiss franc from 0.9457 Swiss franc, and it fell to 1.3553 Canadian dollars from 1.3578 Canadian dollars.

The number of new coronavirus infections has continued to rise in the US, causing some states to suspend their easing measures.

More than 2.77 million confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported in the US, with over 129,000 deaths, as of Friday afternoon, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.