BEIJING, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Beijing municipal health authorities have called for close monitoring of people suffering respiratory infectious diseases as the city has been beset by flu and colds since the New Year.

    The Municipal Health Bureau ordered medical workers at disease control centers to remain on high alert and report the first occurrence of fever involving a group of people and handle such cases as quickly as possible.

    The bureau also urged local hospitals to have more doctors and nurses on duty and take measures to prevent cross-infection between patients.

    Neighborhood clinics are also urged to prepare sufficient medicines to meet the demands of people who are not seriously ill.

    The health bureau, together with the municipal education authorities, ordered local primary and middle schools to carry out daily temperature checks on students.

    According to the municipal disease control center, as of Jan. 6local hospitals and clinics had seen more than 2.51 million patients, of whom 68,374 people showed the symptoms of flu.

    Among the flu cases, 58 percent are children under 15 and five percent are elderly people above 60.

    A sharp drop in temperatures and recent thick "dirty" fog were the main reasons for the rise, said Doctor Wang Zhi, of Boai Hospital.

    Experts suggested people visit smaller hospitals and stay home if they catch a cold to avoid infecting others.