Copper and other industrial metals prices rose on Thursday as traders shrugged off figures showing thousands more coronovirus cases and attention moved to the potential for China's efforts to stop the spread of the virus to disrupt supply.

The outbreak has depressed economic activity in China, the world's largest industrial centre, driving down metals prices.

Using a new method of diagnosis, China's Hubei province said 14,840 cases were reported on Thursday and 242 people had died on Wednesday, taking total deaths in China from the virus to 1,367.

But excluding cases confirmed using the new methods, the number of new cases rose by only 1,508.

The number of new cases had appeared to be falling and the country's senior medical adviser said on Monday the epidemic could end by April.

Benchmark copper on the London Metal Exchange (LME) ended 0.5% higher at $5,790 a tonne. Prices are down nearly 10% from four weeks ago, but have recovered somewhat from a low of $5,523 on Feb. 3.

The higher Hubei numbers reflected a change in how the figures are counted rather than an acceleration of the virus's spread, said Capital Economics analyst Kieran Clancy.

Clancy also said focus was now moving from the effect of coronavirus on metals demand to the risk that measures to control its spread would disrupt production - something that could support prices.

China is the world's biggest metals producer and consumer.

Global equities fell and China's yuan weakened.

China's vehicle sales likely fell by almost a fifth in January, an industry group said.

China's steel industry body has asked the government for help in overcoming transport disruptions caused by efforts to stop the spread of coronavirus.

Support was at $5,707, the uptrend line from copper's Feb. 3 low, brokerage Marex Spectron said. LME aluminium finished up 0.6% at $1,747.50 a tonne, zinc added 1.3% to $2,175, nickel rose 1.5% to $13,290, lead gained 2.1% to $1,892 and tin ended up 0.6% at $16,590.