Philippines' COVID-19 recoveries jump to 487, cases at 5,878

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 17) — The number of people recovering from the coronavirus disease continues to rise with the Department of Health confirming 52 more survivors on Friday.

The total number of recoveries is now at 487, while cases have risen to 5,878. Some 218 new patients contracted COVID-19, the DOH said.

Meanwhile, 25 more people have died of the viral illness, bringing the nationwide death toll to 387.

There have been more recoveries than deaths for a third consecutive day as the DOH included in its report those who have gotten well while under home quarantine. Previously, its count only included those confined in hospitals.

The DOH has also explained that it takes around 13 days up to more than a month for patients to recover, depending on the severity of their symptoms.

To contain the spread of the virus, President Rodrigo Duterte placed Luzon under enhanced community quarantine for a month now, suspending most work, classes, and mass transportation so people would stay home. The Luzon-wide quarantine has been extended until April 30 amid daily spikes in new infections. Other local government units enforced their own lockdowns.

The Philippines confirmed its first case in late January, a month after the coronavirus outbreak began in Wuhan, China. COVID-19 has since infected more than 2.1 million worldwide and killed over 145,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University's COVID-19 global tracker.