Coronavirus update: US reports first case of UK covid variant without travel history

As Asian traders prepare for the US Senate voting on the coronavirus (COVID-19) stimulus, they have another reason to be cautious as the US reports the first covid variant found in the UK. Also disturbing the fact is that the case found in Colorado doesn’t have any travel history.

This could be the push for US Assistant Secretary for Health Brett Giroir to tell MSNBC that the US should extend test requirements for travelers beyond Britain.

That said, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on Tuesday, reported 334,029 deaths from the new coronavirus, an increase of 1,783 from its previous count. The agency said the number of cases had risen by 176,974 to 19,232,843, per Reuters.

FX implications

The news adds pressure onto the risk barometers and probes AUD/USD bull-run around 0.7600. Though, traders are less active amid the year-end holiday mood and a light calendar, which in turn reduces the impact of an otherwise key issue.

Read: AUD/USD: En-route fresh multi-month high above 0.7640, eyes US Senate updates