Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 21) — There are now 3,000 people who have recovered from the coronavirus disease in the country, the Department of Health confirmed on Thursday.
The agency reported 68 new COVID-19 survivors, while another 213 have contracted the virus.
Recoveries currently account for 22 percent of the total number of confirmed cases, which is now at 13,434.
Four more patients also succumbed to the disease, raising the death toll to 846.
Meanwhile, Central Visayas has once again seen a surge in cases at 98 new patients, after recording fewer infections in recent days.
Metro Manila likewise logged 98 additional cases, while the remaining 17 have been recorded in other regions nationwide.
Dr. John Wong, an epidemiologist, earlier noted that the Philippines has hit a plateau of about 220 coronavirus cases a day.
Among Filipinos abroad, the Department of Foreign Affairs reported that six more have been infected with COVID-19, as the total climbed to 2,461.
To date, over five million people across the globe have been infected with the disease. Of this number, over 328,000 have died, while some 1.9 million patients have already recovered.
Another three have recovered, for a total of 861 recoveries, while one more has died, raising the number of fatalities to 285.
The DOH added that another 15 healthcare workers have caught COVID-19, while 31 more have recovered.
There are now a total of 2,330 medical frontliners who have been infected and 1,049 who have survived the illness. No new deaths have been recorded, with the death toll remaining at 31 for 10 days now.
The Health department which had reported a total of 35 fatalities from May 12 to 19, has corrected their death count. It clarified that the two who passed away were no longer in active duty, while the two other deaths were found to be non-healthcare workers.
The DOH also confirmed in a press briefing that the country is still on the first wave of COVID-19 “driven by local transmission.” This clarification came after Health Secretary Francisco Duque III claimed on Wednesday that the Philippines is now experiencing its second wave of the pandemic.
READ: DOH apologizes for ‘second wave’ announcement
The agency added that since peaking on March 31 with 538 cases recorded in a single day, the COVID-19 curve has “started to flatten,” with the number of daily infections declining.
However, an infectious disease expert earlier rejected the DOH claim, saying the Philippines has “never been able to flatten the curve in any way,” and that “we remain in a plateau.”
