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 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 mainland China.

(Xinhua News Agency September 8, 2009)