S&P/ASX 200 closes flat as Victoria records 17 new COVID-19 cases

S&P/ASX 200 (INDEXASX:XJO) ended the day 10 points or 0.17% up at 5954 and has now closed between 5,900 and 6,000 for six sessions in a row. Real estate was the biggest gainer, up 1.2% followed by the consumer discretionary and industrial sectors. The consumer staples sector had the biggest fall, down 0.6%. Covid-19 update The largest single-day increase in global coronavirus cases was recorded on Sunday, according to the World Health Organization, after more than 183,000 new cases were confirmed worldwide. The US saw more than 36,000 new cases on Sunday after more than 30,000 new cases were reported on both Friday and Saturday. Australia’s Victoria state recorded 17 new cases of COVID-19, resulting in the closing of two primary schools in Melbourne. Victorian premier Daniel Andrews said there would be “significant community transmission” among the new cases. Top movers The biggest movers today include Western Areas (ASX:WSA), up 16% to $2.68 and Challenger (ASX:CGF) was down 10% to $4.8. Proactive news headlines: PolarX completes $3.76 million placement, prepares to begin Zackly East drilling PolarX Ltd (ASX:PXX) has completed the placement of 98,982,894 ordinary shares at an issue price of 3.8 cents per share to raise $3.76 million. The company is now funded for a 3,000-metre drilling program at the Zackly East gold-copper skarn within its Alaska Range Project. Castillo Copper raises $2.1 million to accelerate drilling at priority Arya prospect of Mt Oxide pillar Castillo Copper Ltd (ASX:CCZ) has raised $2.1 million after completing a placement to current and new sophisticated and institutional investors with funds to expedite a drilling campaign at the Mt Oxide pillar in Queensland’s copper-belt. MGC Pharmaceuticals awarded GMP licence for EU cannabinoid medicine production facility MGC Pharmaceuticals Ltd's (ASX:MXC) (OTCMKTS:MGCLF) Slovenian production and compounding facility has been awarded a landmark three-year Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) licence from EU authorities for the production of pharma grade cannabinoid-based medicines and products. Blackstone Minerals intersects 15.4-metre-wide zone of nickel sulphides at Ta Khoa Blackstone Minerals Ltd (ASX:BSX) (FRA:B9S) has intersected a 15.4-metre-wide zone of nickel sulphide mineralisation at Ban Chang prospect of its Ta Khoa Nickel-PGE project in Vietnam. The maiden four drill holes at Ban Chang have all intersected massive sulphide nickel over a 1.2-kilometre strike within a 1.2-kilometre-long massive sulphide target zone defined by high-priority electromagnetic (EM) plates. Horizon Minerals on-track for first gold from Boorara next month Horizon Minerals Ltd (ASX:HRZ) is ahead of schedule with mining and haulage for the first stage of Boorara Gold Mine in the Goldfields of Western Australia and is on track for first gold production in July. Mining began on May 6, 2020, and the first ore parcel of 25,000 tonnes has been hauled from Regal East to the Lakewood Mill. Piedmont Lithium appoints Primero Group as preferred EPC contractor for spodumene concentrator Piedmont Lithium Ltd (ASX:PLL) (NASDAQ:PLL) has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Primero Group Ltd (ASX: PGX) for the delivery of a spodumene concentrator on an Engineer, Procure, and Construct (EPC) basis at the Piedmont Lithium Project in North Carolina. Venus Metals higher on shallow bonanza-grade gold results from Youanmi JV project Venus Metals Corporation Ltd (ASX:VMC) is encouraged by shallow bonanza-grade infill drilling results returned by joint venture partner Rox Resources (ASX:RXL) from the Youanmi Gold Project in Western Australia. The best result was 4 metres at 88.81 g/t from 27 metres, including 2 metres at 176.03 g/t at Grace prospect while other bonanza-grade results include 3 metres at 61.27 g/t from 10 metres and 2 metres at 33.53 g/t from 11 metres. King River Resources launches SPP for shareholders to purchase up to $30,000 in shares King River Resources Ltd (ASX:KRR) has launched a Security Purchase Plan (SPP) for existing shareholders to be able to purchase up to $30,000 worth of additional shares. There are currently has more than 4,600 shareholders and the maximum allowable issue is 374,591,566 shares, which would equate to more than $12 million. Wiluna Mining high-grade gold results continue to underpin stage-1 sulphide strategy Wiluna Mining Corporation Ltd (ASX:WMX) has received more high-grade results of up to 8 metres at 15.2 g/t from 248 metres, including 5 metres at 23 g/t from resource development and infill drilling at the Wiluna Mining Centre in WA. The further strong drilling results, particularly at Essex continue, to deliver shallow sulphides into the company's stage 1 sulphide strategy at Wiluna. FYI Resources to deliver HPA samples to potential customers following high demand FYI Resources Ltd (ASX:FYI) has fielded requests for larger quantities of high purity alumina (HPA) material for additional product qualification following its delivery of low deleterious HPA samples to customers in February. Production of this additional sample material to meet the specific requirements of each interested party for second stage qualification trials is underway and FYI expects to deliver these larger samples in July 2020. Strategic Elements files multiple patents on autonomous robotics technology Strategic Elements Ltd (ASX:SOR) has made multiple patent filings over the autonomous robotics technology being developed by its subsidiary Stealth Technologies. Strategic use of 3D printing technologies by Stealth is enabling the rapid advancement of Intellectual Property and prototyping.