WUHAN, May 2 (Xinhua) -- No new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were reported in central China's Hubei Province Friday, the provincial health commission said Saturday.

This marks that Hubei, the once hardest hit Chinese province, has had no new confirmed COVID-19 cases for 28 consecutive days since April 4.

Hubei was cleared of confirmed COVID-19 cases on April 26.

The province reported 647 asymptomatic cases under medical observation, after 18 such cases were added and two released from quarantine Friday.

A total of 282,546 close contacts of COVID-19 patients in the province had been tracked by Friday, 1,378 of whom were still under medical observation.

Hubei has so far reported 68,128 confirmed COVID-19 cases in total, including 50,333 in Wuhan, the provincial capital.  ■