SINGAPORE — Copper prices advanced on Wednesday in thin volume as rising coronavirus cases among the workforce in the top producing region of South America highlighted supply risks.

Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange (LME) rose 0.04% to $5,907.50 a tonne by 0600 GMT, while the most-traded copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (ShFE) advanced 0.4% to 47,830 yuan ($6,767.22) a tonne.

Miner BHP Group Ltd announced stricter health protocols at the world’s largest copper mine Escondida, while the Chilean government imposed lockdowns for the mines-heavy Antofagasta region from Tuesday.

“Copper is inching up on supply fears as BHP’s massive Chilean mine at Escondida has… its workforce struck down with coronavirus,” said Malcolm Freeman, a director at Kingdom Futures, in a note, noticing low trading volume in Asian trading hours.

Earlier this week, Chilean state miner Codelco announced stricter safety measures and suspended some construction projects after two workers died from COVID-19.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW

Better-than-expected economic data in Europe and improving U.S. housing and business activity data also boosted sentiment, but gains were capped as cases surged in the United States and South America.

FUNDAMENTALS

* OTHER PRICES: LME zinc rose 0.1% to $2,042.50 a tonne and lead advanced 0.3% to $1,753 a tonne. In Shanghai, aluminum fell 0.3% to 13,635 yuan a tonne and zinc dropped 1.1% to 16,730 yuan a tonne.

* LEAD: Demand for lead-acid batteries from hospitals and food producers seeking more backup power is helping lead producers weather a collapse in orders from the auto sector.

* ALUMINIUM: China’s aluminum imports more than doubled year-on-year in May, but failed to hit an expected decade-high level, official data showed.

* SHFE: ShFE will be closed on Thursday and Friday for the Dragon Boat Festival in China and will reopen on June 29.

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($1 = 7.0679 yuan) (Reporting by Mai Nguyen; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri)