KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 21 — The ringgit closed firmer against the US dollar today as investors continued to weigh on global fears due to the rising cases of the Omicron Covid-19 variant.
At 6pm, the local note improved versus the greenback to 4.2065/2110 from 4.2240/2280 yesterday.
A trader said worries over the Omicron variant also pushed oil prices higher although restrictions imposed by countries could dent demand for fuel.
As at the time of writing, Brent crude was trading above the US$70 (RM295) per barrel level, at US$71.50 per barrel.
Yesterday, World Health Organisation director-general Tedros Ghebreyesus said that over 3.3 million people had lost their lives to Covid-19 this year, more deaths than from HIV, malaria and tuberculosis combined in 2020.
Meanwhile, on the local front, 3,140 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, with the cumulative figure now at 2,724,684 cases, said Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
At the close, the ringgit was traded mostly higher against a basket of other major currencies.
It rose vis-a-vis the Japanese yen to 3.7019/7062 from 3.7209/7248 yesterday, appreciated against the Singapore dollar to 3.0828/0866 from 3.0873/0906, and increased versus the euro to 4.7508/7559 from 4.7550/7595.
The local note, however, fell against the British pound to 5.5732/5792 from 5.5698/5750 at the close yesterday. — Bernama
