Currencies in Asia were further strengthened on Tuesday on hopes that the SARS outbreak has been contained, the daily Jakarta Post reported in Jakarta Wednesday.
Traders said that the US dollar was sold off in the region, following Monday's optimistic comments from the World Health Organization (WHO) that the worst of the outbreak of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is over in Singapore, Hong Kong, Canada and Vietnam.
The US dollar closed at 8,710 rupiah against the Indonesian currency on Tuesday, down from 8,740 Monday, amid capital inflows which traders believe are linked to local asset sales.
Against the Singapore dollar, the US dollar was quoted at 1.7760 near the end of the local trading session, down from 1.7785 late Monday.
(Xinhua News Agency April 30, 2003)
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