Experts introduce the situation of patients infected with novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) at the 4th People's Hospital of Qinghai Province in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Feb. 21, 2020. Two more NCP patients in Qinghai Province recovered and were discharged from hospital on Friday. So far, a total of 18 confirmed cases in Qinghai Province have been cured and discharged. (Xinhua/Zhang Long)

XINING, Feb. 21  -- Northwest China's Qinghai Province discharged the last two patients who recovered from the novel coronavirus on Friday, as both confirmed and suspected cases in the province returned to zero.

The patients were discharged after showing negative results in two nucleic acid tests as well as obvious signs of improvements in the medical imaging of their lungs, according to the hospital where they were treated.

They will be quarantined for another two weeks under the supervision of local medical institutions, the hospital said.

Qinghai has seen 15 consecutive days with no new confirmed cases. So far, the province has tracked 437 close contacts, with 33 still in medical observation.

Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region is the first to see confirmed cases return to zero as it discharged the only patient on Feb. 12.