Two universities with more than 10,000 students each in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, have been locked down after dozens of swine flu cases.

By Tuesday, Xi'an University of Arts and Science had 59 confirmed cases and Xidian University 22, China News Service reported yesterday.

Officials of the arts and science university announced on September 4, a day after the confirmation of its first batch of patients, the suspension of classes until no more cases emerged seven days after the last confirmed case.

The school has divided its campus into two parts, one designated as a quarantine zone. Students outside the zone can move freely in the campus but are not allowed to leave.

Food deliveries

The school has also strictly limited unauthorized personnel from entering campus.

Meanwhile, Xidian University authorities also locked part of its campus from September 12 and delivered food to quarantined students via the school's logistics department.

Limitations have been imposed on entry and exit, but healthy students are still attending schooling every day.

Xidian confirmed its first case on September 9.

Yang Xiwen, Shaanxi's education director, said the eight-day National Day holiday was a challenge and they were communicating with the provincial health department to study swine flu control and prevention.

Further policies were expected, Yang said.

Shaanxi had all of its campus cases from Xi'an, with nine colleges, a high school, a primary school and a kindergarten involved.

China's mainland has reported 10,000 cases of swine flu as of yesterday, with 6,098 patients already recovered.

(Shanghai Daily September 17, 2009)