Truck & trailer travelling #Hwy401 WB #Puslinch Twp. Pickup truck started to smoke and driver stopped on the shoulder. Everyone got out safe including the horse in the trailer – pickup truck burned to the ground. #IGuessWeWillRideFromHere
Last seen heading into the sunset😉 pic.twitter.com/a8OmVMgIbM

— OPP Highway Safety Division (@OPP_HSD) June 20, 2020

The Ministry of Health says new cases of COVID-19 sneaked up to 206 in its latest 24-hour report. It is the first time in a week the number has been over 200. The five-day rolling average of new cases is 186.

The $10 million jackpot in Friday night’s Lotto Max draw was won by a single ticket holder in Ontario. The jackpot for the next draw on June 23 will again be approximately $10 million.

The Ontario government has passed Bill 192, Protecting Small Business Act, 2020 temporarily halting or reversing evictions of commercial tenants and protecting them from being locked out or having their assets seized during COVID-19. The legislation applies to businesses that are eligible for the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) for evictions from May 1, 2020 (retroactively) until August 31, 2020. The pause on evictions does not apply to those already participating in CECRA, as that program already includes a stipulation of a 3-month eviction moratorium. Of note is that the legislation is reversing evictions as of May 1, whereas originally the province was considering reversing evictions on or after June 3.

The Ministry of Health is reporting 178 new cases of COVID-19 Friday. These are cases found Thursday during the greatly accelerated testing seen in recent days  Some 27,225 tests were done in this period. Thursday is the sixth day that the 24-hour count was under 200. MInistry summaries

Stephen Lecce with Valentina and Vivienne

Education Minister Stephen has plotted a three-option plan for schools on the resumption of studies this fall. At a news conference Friday, Mr Lecce said the province is tasking school boards across the province to prepare three separate plans for September:

• A plan for regular in-class instruction with heightened health protocols.
• The continuation of remote learning with more standardization. This would happen should school closures be extended, or if some parents choose not to send their child back to school, the province says.
• An adapted delivery model, which blends in-class with online learning, which would see students alternating being in class by days or weeks.

Lecce said in that situation, class sizes wouldn’t exceed 15 students in class at a time. In recent days, recommendations have suggested that schools should limit large gatherings, prevent children from sharing food and drinks and ensure classrooms are properly ventilated with open windows when possible. But the nature of school, and the normal behaviour of kids, make it all seem like quite a tricky task. CBC

Chinese prosecutors charged two detained Canadians with spying Friday in an apparent bid to step up pressure on Canada to drop a U.S. extradition request for a Huawei executive under house arrest in Vancouver. Michael Kovrig was charged by Beijing on suspicion of spying for state secrets and intelligence. Michael Spavor was charged in Dandong, a city near the North Korean border, on suspicion of spying for a foreign entity and illegally providing state secrets. CBC

BMW stolen in Toronto/York Regional Police

Italian police and Canada Border Services Agency have seized as many as 40 expensive vehicles stolen in the GTA at ports in Southern Italy. They were headed to Libya and Turkey. In addition, the CBSA was able to locate and seize ten more vehicles before they were shipped. And York Regional Police said Thursday that they arranged to raid a business called RS Royal Services at 53 Bakersfield St (northeast of Sheppard and Keele) where they found evidence leading them to other vehicles.

• International stolen vehicle operation discovered
• York Regional Police

The Ministry of Health is reporting 173 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday, the lowest such number seen since March 28. The infection is on the decline in Ontario but the GTA remains a problem. Seventy of today’s count were reported in Toronto. Peel Region had  27 cases, York Region, 14 and Durham, three. Ministry summaries

• Seasonal residents with US plates harassed in Muskoka for travelling during COVID-19

A Facebook post on Thursday reports the discovery of six dead possums on the Sherwood Park trail near Blythwood Rd. and also west of Mt. Pleasant. FB