The pound fell against the dollar and euro on Monday after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was admitted to hospital for tests after showing persistent symptoms of the coronavirus.
The yen eased against the dollar after Japanese domestic media reported Prime Minister Shinzo Abe may declare a state of emergency as early as Tuesday to curb an alarming acceleration in coronavirus infections.
The dollar was on the back foot against the euro after data last week showed companies in the United States shed jobs at break-neck speed as the COVID-19 pandemic leads the global economy to a deep recession.
The pound GBP=D3 fell 0.44% to $1.2215 on Monday in Asia. Against the euro, sterling EURGBP=D3 fell 0.35% to 88.49 pence.
Johnson was admitted in what Downing Street said was a “precautionary step” because he was showing persistent symptoms of COVID-19 10 days after testing positive for the novel coronavirus.
Source : Reuters