NEW YORK: The dollar edged higher across the board on Monday as concerns about the pandemic encouraged investors to seek a safe haven, and as they awaited more clues about the global economic recovery.

With markets hyper-sensitive to any talk of early tapering, US inflation data on Tuesday will be closely watched ahead of testimony by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday and Thursday.

The dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of six currencies, was 0.1% higher at 92.267. The index remains close to a 3-month high of 92.844 touched last week.

The Australian dollar, often viewed as a liquid proxy for risk, was 0.16% lower on the day.

Sterling fell, as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was expected to confirm plans to remove nearly all remaining Covid-19 restrictions in England from July 19, despite a surge of cases to levels unseen for months. The pound was 0.24% lower at $1.3875.

The Canadian dollar was trading about 0.4% lower at 1.2492 to the greenback, or 80.05 US cents.

Cryptocurrencies were on the defensive with bitcoin down about 2.2% at $33,523.11 and ether down 1.7% at $2,102.63.