Two recovered novel coronavirus patients in Yanbian Korean autonomous prefecture in Northeast China's Jilin province tested positive for the virus on Monday, local epidemic prevention and control headquarters said on Wednesday.

During nucleic acid testing conducted on Monday before the man's hospitalization to treat an intestinal obstruction, he was found to be positive for the virus.

As his companion in the hospital, his wife also received the test and her result was positive.

The couple arrived in Shanghai from Japan on Sept 25 and were diagnosed with confirmed cases of COVID-19 and received isolation and treatment in a designated hospital in Shanghai. They recovered and were discharged from the hospital on Oct 29.

Then they were in centralized quarantine for medical observation and their tests were negative on Nov 9. They returned home to Yanbian on Nov 12 and were under home quarantine.

Now the couple are in isolation and receiving treatment in a designated hospital.

All their close contacts that have been traced are under centralized isolation and all nucleic acid test results are negative.