progress token on a location VS consider it explored

By Ileopsoas, in Rules questions & answers

I wonder if you can help me: if a location in the staging area has a number of token on it equal to its quest point its simply discarded or it is also considered explored?

Thank you

I wonder if you can help me: if a location in the staging area has a number of token on it equal to its quest point its simply discarded or it is also considered explored?

Thank you

Rulebook p15:

"If a location ever has as many
progress tokens as it has quest points, that location is
considered explored and is discarded from play" [emphasis in original]