The total number of confirmed cases of A/H1N1 influenza on the Chinese mainland has reached 10,000 as a further 1,118 new cases had been confirmed in the 48 hours ending 3:00 PM Wednesday, the Ministry of Health said.

The number of such cases stood at 9,103 at 3:00 PM Monday.

Among the newly confirmed cases, only eight were "imported cases" while the rest had been contracted on the Chinese mainland, the ministry said.

Of the total A/H1N1 cases reported so far, 6,098 had recovered, the ministry said. So far there have been no deaths from the flu reported on the mainland.

Last Friday, the ministry said the flu was spreading from cities to rural areas and from coastal provinces to inland areas.

Liang Wannian, deputy director of the ministry's health emergency office, said domestic cases made up the majority of new infections instead of imported cases, and cases of large-scale group infection were replacing isolated ones.

All 31 provincial areas on the Chinese mainland have now reported A/H1N1 cases.

Last Thursday, the State Council, or the Cabinet, issued an edict to step up the campaign against the flu. It promised to take effective measures such as free vaccination and allowing flexible work hours.

Beijing started last Wednesday vaccinating about 1.8 million residents aged 60 years and above and students at primary and middle schools.

The Chinese mainland reported its first critical case of A/H1N1on August 13. The case involved a 17-year-old high school student in the southern province of Guangdong who had been in a coma for about a week at the time.

(Xinhua News Agency September 17, 2009)