The first batch of Beijing and Qinghua University students returned to school on Sunday after the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Beijing waned.

At the southern gate of Beijing University, returning students lined up to fill in health declaration forms.

A seven-day compulsory confinement awaits, in three nearby buildings which have been refurbished with new living facilities such as water heaters, bathrooms and telephones, all thoroughly sterilized.

With 170 rooms altogether, these buildings can accommodate 680 students.

Zhang Yan, director of the university's anti-SARS office, said medical workers would take students' temperatures twice a day and keep a close eye on their physical condition.

Students can surf the Internet or make phone calls freely and if they want to exercise, they can play badminton or skip rope in an open area in front of the buildings.

Zhang said the confinement would be eased on June 8 and that for the second batch of returning students would last from June 10 to 18.

Meanwhile, over 400 students at Qinghua University returned to their campus on Sunday.

School official Yang Zhenbin said that to protect the health of other schoolmates, two dormitory buildings had been emptied out to allow a two-week compulsory confinement for the returnees.

Wu Meng, a senior student with the Institute of Economic Management, was happy to be back at school.

"There is lots to be done before the upcoming graduation, I won 't be fooling around during the confinement," she said. 甅DNM？