⁍ The euro fell against the dollar on Wednesday after a media report that France’s government is leaning toward reinstating a national lockdown to curb a resurgence in coronavirus infections.
The dollar strengthened slightly against other major currencies, but sentiment for the greenback is turning bearish due to uncertainty about the outcome of the U.S. presidential election next week

– With the US presidential election less than a week away, investors are keeping a close eye on coronavirus, the deadly virus that has so far infected thousands of people in Europe. In France, health officials are considering a national lockdown to combat the virus, which has already infected more than 1,000 people in the country, the BBC reports. The lockdown, which would be in effect from midnight Thursday to midnight Friday, would apply to people who have recently traveled to or lived in areas affected by the virus. Health officials say the lockdown would not apply to people who have already been in contact with people who have tested positive for the virus. In Britain, authorities have urged people to avoid nonessential travel for the next month to avoid the spread of the virus, which has so far infected more than 400 people in the country, the BBC reports. In the US, meanwhile, polls show Donald Trump with a narrow lead over Joe Biden, the AP reports. The dollar was little changed against other major currencies on Wednesday, but was up against other major currencies, as investors worried about the outcome of the US election. “The coronavirus spike is certainly a concern for France and southern Europe, so the euro’s upside is heavy,” a senior foreign exchange strategist at IG Securities in Tokyo tells Reuters. “I don’t expect the dollar to gain much against elsewhere, because people have been overly complacent about how markets will react after the US election.”