Stocks rise as COVID-19 cases surge

Stocks rose last week, with the S&P 500 rising 0.2 percent.

In propelling markets higher, nvestors have largely looked past the surge in COVID-19 cases in the US and Europe.

On Friday, the US reported the most infections in a single day since July. As of Saturday, more than 8.1 million cases had been reported in the US and 219,286 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins University.

"This surge has the potential to be way worse than it was than either the spring or the summer," said epidemiologist Dr Abdul El-Sayed, Detroit's former health director.

Meanwhile, in Europe,the death toll from COVID-19 passed 250,000 on Sunday after a 44 percent increase in cases last week.

Restriction are being raised in most parts of Europe. Nighttime curfews on millions came into force in France this weekend and Switzerland required all its citizens to wear masks in indoor public places.