Gold prices climbed to their highest in eight weeks on Monday, holding above $1,900, as global COVID-19 cases spiked and countries pushed for more lockdowns despite vaccine rollouts.

The dollar index  remained weaker against rivals on Monday, making gold cheaper for holders of other currencies.

Global coronavirus cases continued to climb, with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson hinting at tougher lockdown restrictions, while Japan considered declaring a state of emergency for capital Tokyo and surrounding areas.

Investor focus was also on Tuesday's Georgia runoff elections that will decide the control of the U.S. Senate, and with it, the likely fate of President-elect Joe Biden's legislative agenda. 

The U.S. Senate ended a push by Democrats to increase COVID-19 financial relief checks from $600 to $2,000, a change sought by President Donald Trump, after the effort was blocked by Republicans. 

Britain will become the first country to roll out the low-cost and easily transportable AstraZeneca  and Oxford University COVID-19 vaccine on Monday. 

The U.S. Federal Reserve will release the minutes from their latest policy meeting on Wednesday.

Physical gold demand remained largely muted across top Asian hubs last week as holidays kept buyers at bay.