PRECIOUS-Gold near six-week low as firmer dollar weighs

* Platinum falls over 5%
* Worldwide COVID-19 cases surpass 90 million
* Dollar hits a near three-week peak
* Interactive graphic tracking global spread of coronavirus:
https://tmsnrt.rs/3mvcUoa

(Updates prices)
By Eileen Soreng
Jan 11 (Reuters) - Gold fell on Monday, hovering close to a
six-week trough hit earlier in the session, pressured by a
robust dollar and higher U.S. Treasury yields amid expectations
of more fiscal stimulus.
Spot gold XAU= fell 0.9% to $1,832.60 per ounce by 1425
GMT, after touching its lowest since Dec. 2 at $1,816.53. Gold
last week recorded its biggest percentage fall since late
November.
U.S. gold futures GCv1 eased 0.1% to $1,833.10.
Fawad Razaqzada, market analyst with ThinkMarkets, said that
gold was retreating because of the dollar making further gains.
But this trend is likely to be short-lived and "there is an
increased potential for gold to go higher in medium-term," with
the massive amount of liquidity also likely to support demand
for physical gold, he added.
The dollar index .DXY scaled a near three-week peak, amid
gains in the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield US10YT=RR . US/
USD/
Julius Baer analyst Carsten Menke said in a note the bank
was "neutral" on the outlook for gold.
"We believe safe-haven demand (for gold) should fade further
as we project a resumption of the economic recovery despite
renewed lockdowns in many European countries," Menke added.
Federal Reserve Vice Chair Richard Clarida on Friday said
the U.S. economy was headed for an "impressive" year, helped by
vaccines and larger spending. Still, gold will continue to be supported by the low
interest rate environment, analysts said.
"Positive for gold is that central banks are going to be
dovish for the long term... It has built a solid support area
around $1,830 and there's a good chance of gold recovering to
$1,880 or $1,900," said ActivTrades chief analyst Carlo Alberto
De Casa.
Meanwhile, world shares came off record highs on caution
over rising coronavirus cases. MKTS/GLOB
Elsewhere, silver XAG= fell 2.9% to $24.62 per ounce,
having earlier fallen to a near one-month low of $24.30.
Silver "should continue moving in gold's slipstream," Menke
added.
Platinum XPT= dropped 5.1% to $1,010.15 per ounce, while
palladium XPD= slipped 1% to $2,346.85.