BEIJING, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- China vows to strengthen
the prevention and control of the A/H1N1 flu virus in the run-up to the National
Day celebrations, amid fears that the situation will worsen through autumn.
According to a statement released after a meeting
held by the State Council here Monday, schools are currently the key places in
the country's fight against the virus and classes should be suspended "properly"
to avoid mass infection when an outbreak occurs.
"Currently the global epidemic situation is getting
worse. As autumn comes, the number of domestic cases in China is also on the
rise... The prevention and control work faces fresh obstacles," said the
statement.
Primary and secondary schools in Urumqi, capital of
northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, remained closed Monday in
the wake of a recent outbreak of 43 A/H1N1 influenza cases.
Similar outbreaks have also been reported at schools
in other regions, including the provinces of Henan, Hunan, Jiangsu, Anhui and
Hainan, as well as the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
The State Council urged railway and aviation
departments to improve their emergency plan against possible epidemic outbreak
in crowded situations.
According to the statement, medical staff, technical
equipment and materials should be ready at any moment in case of an emergency --
especially around the National Day, which falls on Oct. 1.
In addition, the State Council urged medical
companies to stock vaccine and other medicines and ensure vaccine safety for
human use.
The meeting was presided over by premier Wen Jiabao.
By last Friday night, 4,415 cases of A/H1N1 flu had
been reported on the Chinese mainland, of which 3,577 have recovered. There have
been no deaths from A/H1N1 in main land China.
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World Tackles A/H1N1
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