S&P/ASX 200 surges 1.2% and breaks through 6000-level on COVID-19 vaccine progress

S&P/ASX 200 (INDEXASX:XJO) is trading 1.2% higher at 6013 by lunch as hopes for a COVID-19 vaccine rise. Moderna Inc’s (NASDAQ:MRNA) experimental vaccine showed it was safe and provoked immune responses in all 45 healthy volunteers in an ongoing phase 1 trial. However, it should be noted that there are two more trial stages to work through. The Dow jumped more than 500 points yesterday to post its best day in two weeks. The S&P 500 surged 1.3%. Miners and tech rise Miners and tech stocks have enjoyed the biggest gains on the ASX today, supported by health, industrials, energy and consumer discretionaries. Newcrest (ASX:NCM), Northern Star (ASX:NST) and Evolution Mining (ASX:EVN) have all gained more than 1.5%. COVID-19 update Victoria recorded 238 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours and premier Daniel Andrews warned restrictions could be tightened if Victorians do not stop breaking the rules. In New South Wales, two more pubs have shut down in Sydney this morning as a cluster in the city continues to spread. More than 900 COVID-19 deaths were announced in the US on Tuesday, including single-day records in Alabama, Florida and Utah. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump said: "We test more than anybody by far. And when you test, you create cases. So we have created cases. “I can tell you that some countries, they test when somebody walks into a hospital sick or walks into maybe a doctor's office, but usually a hospital. “That is the testing they do, so they do not have cases, whereas we have all these cases. So, it is a double-edged sword.” Top gainers Today’s top gainers on the ASX include Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX:PAR) (+11.66%), Nelson Resources Ltd (ASX:NES) (+13.04%), Talisman Mining Ltd (ASX:TLM) (+14.29%), Platina Resources Limited (ASX:PGM) (+12.28%) and Latin Resources Ltd (ASX:LRS) (+66.67%). Proactive news headlines: Kingston Resources has drill spinning at Livingstone as it targets maiden Kingsley gold resource Kingston Resources Ltd (ASX:KSN) has begun a 5,000-metre resource definition reverse circulation (RC) drilling program at its 75%-owned Livingstone Gold Project, 140 kilometres northwest of Meekatharra in the Bryah Basin of Western Australia. Nexus Minerals advances gold strategy with Pinnacles JV feasibility study and Wallbrook drilling Nexus Minerals Ltd (ASX:NXM) is progressing its gold strategy centred on WA’s Eastern Goldfields with a feasibility study underway on the Pinnacles joint venture (JV) project and reverse circulation (RC) drilling to start this month at the Wallbrook project. eSense-Lab achieves key milestones that validate commercialisation model for terpenes eSense-Lab Ltd (ASX:ESE) continues to achieve strategic and operational milestones as it progresses a commercialisation strategy for evidence-based terpene product development for medicinal and wellness uses. VRX Silica has Native Title Agreement terms approved for Arrowsmith silica sand projects VRX Silica Ltd (ASX:VRX) has received approval from Native Title claimants for the terms of its proposed mining project agreement for the Arrowsmith North and Arrowsmith Central silica sand projects in Western Australia. Mako Gold delivers multiple broad high-grade gold intersections as Napié confidence grows Mako Gold Ltd (ASX:MKG) has delivered multiple high-grade gold intersections in first assay results from an ongoing 10,000-metre reverse circulation (RC) and diamond drilling program on Tchaga Prospect at its 224-square-kilometre Napié Project in Côte d’Ivoire. Talisman Mining appoints one of WA’s most successful mining executives Kerry Harmanis as non-executive chairman Talisman Mining Ltd (ASX:TLM) has appointed one of Western Australia’s most successful mining executives and investors Kerry Harmanis as non-executive chairman effective immediately.