Confirmed cases of flu in China have begun to decline but figures remain at a high level overall, according to data released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday.

For the week beginning Dec 8, the positivity rate for influenza-like cases reported by sentinel hospitals was 50.2 percent, down from 54.2 percent in the previous week.

The flu level continued to decrease in the northern, northeastern and northwestern regions of the country, while in central, eastern, southern and southwestern regions of China, the level was still rising, though the rate of increase had slowed.

Meanwhile, the number of reported clustered infections in schools has now declined for two weeks in succession, with the positivity rate among children aged 5 to 14 remaining significantly higher than in other age groups.

The positivity rate for respiratory syncytial virus showed a downward trend. However, in northern provinces, it has risen for two consecutive weeks, with children aged 4 and under being the group most affected.

The positivity rate for rhinovirus continued to decline. COVID-19 and other respiratory pathogens remained at generally low levels.