China's Ministry of Health confirmed Friday that A/H1N1 flu was spreading from cities to rural areas, from coastal provinces to the inland.

Domestic cases were taking up the majority of newly added cases instead of those coming from abroad, said Liang Wannian, deputy director of the ministry's health emergency office, at a press conference.

Large-scale infection cases were replacing isolated ones, he said.

"The daily number of new infections rose with more patients in serious conditions," he said.

All 31 provincial areas in the Chinese mainland reported A/H1N1 patients. The total number reached 6,968 by Thursday.

"The situation we face is not optimistic," Liang said.

(Xinhua News Agency September 11, 2009)