The total number of confirmed cases of the H1N1 flu on the Chinese mainland has reached 10,000 with 1,118 new cases confirmed in the past 48 hours, the Ministry of Health said.

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

Of the total H1N1 cases reported so far, 6,098 victims have 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 inland from coastal provinces.

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

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

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

Beijing started inoculating last Wednesday about 1.8 million residents aged 60 years and over as well as students at primary and middle schools.

The Chinese mainland reported its first critical case of H1N1 on Aug 13. The case involved a 17-year-old high school student in the southern province of Guangdong.

(Xinhua News Agency September 17, 2009)