China's health authority Tuesday stepped up a mass vaccination campaign and other measures to combat swine flu as the number of cases soared to nearly 60,000 and the death toll almost doubled to 30.

"We are currently seeing an alarming rate of increase in the number of people infected with the A(H1N1) virus," health ministry spokesman Mao Qunan told reporters.

"Not only are we seeing some explosive epidemics, but these epidemics are spreading to areas that have not previously seen outbreaks."

The country's swine flu death toll had risen to 30 as of Monday, up from the 16 fatalities reported on Friday, according to the ministry. China reported its first death from the virus last month.

The number of infections reported by the ministry rose by some 5,000 over the last three days to 59,478. More than 240 people were in critical condition, it said.

The ministry has ordered production of vaccines to be stepped up and more inoculations to be administered, especially at schools and for those most susceptible to the virus, Mao said.

As of Monday, 8.7 million people in China had been vaccinated, with major urban centres announcing they would work more quickly to administer shots to the general public.

According to the state-run Global Times newspaper, vaccinations were available for Beijing's entire population, while Shanghai had been supplied with enough vaccine to cover half its population of 18 million.

The health ministry has also ordered all local governments to stockpile enough of the anti-viral drug Tamiflu to cover up to two percent of the locality's population, the Beijing Youth Daily reported.

China hopes to vaccinate up to 65 million people by the end of the year, while up to 100 million more doses of the vaccine could be produced in the first quarter of 2010, the ministry said earlier.