Global miner BHP Group announced stricter health protocols on Tuesday after cases of the novel coronavirus at its Escondida copper mine in Chile, the world´s largest, reached 150, with 59 at its smaller Spence deposit.
BHP said 76 of those cases remained active and that the discovery of new cases suggested a "stabilisation and tendency toward decline".
It added: "This is a dynamic situation that can change rapidly, which is why we are making our best effort to implement all measures necessary to protect the health of our workers and contractors."
A spike in cases in the city of Calama had led BHP to route all workers flying into the mines via nearby Antofagasta airport instead, the company said, and workers were being encouraged to observe stricter social-distancing measures during trips.