MANILA - The first district of Tondo in Manila City was officially placed under a 48-hour "hard lockdown" at 5 a.m. Sunday to contain the spread of COVID-19, officials said.

Residents are not allowed to go outside unless for emergencies and if they are frontliners.

• Mayor Isko orders 'hard lockdown' in Tondo District 1

Police Brig. Gen. Rolando Miranda, director of the Manila Police District, said they would follow directives strictly and apply maximum tolerance in implementing the measure.

“Of course, yung right of the people, we have to do it as humanely as possible. Walang makikitang pang-aabuso sa hanay ng kapulisan. It will be supervised by my officers and ako yung overall supervisor,” he said in a virtual press briefing Sunday.

Ayon kay MPD chief BGen Rolando Miranda, ipapairal nila ang maximum tolerance at may compassion, pero mahigpit na ipatutupad pa rin ang batas. pic.twitter.com/j2pJtKPsxv

— Jekki Pascual (@jekkipascual) May 2, 2020

Miranda said residents who must go out should wear face masks at all times.

Some 1,200 policemen have been deployed while 9 temporary detention facilities with doctors and fiscal lawyers have been prepared, Miranda said.

Village chief Ahl Gonzales said they already oriented their residents in Barangay 94 to abide by the protocols.

“Nag-ikot po kami, may megaphone, para sabihan mga residente. At bago mag-lockdown, nagpa-meeting ang mga pulis sa UN Avenue para alam po namin ang dapat gawin sa bawat barangay," he said.

Tondo's first district covers a portion of Divisoria up to North Harbour, and the Navotas boundary at Dagupan and Juan Luna Streets.

The city government earlier placed Sampaloc and Parola compound under a hard lockdown.

• Manila to place Sampaloc district under 48-hour 'hard lockdown'
• Barangay in Manila placed under 'total shutdown' due to boxing, gambling while on lockdown

As of 5 p.m. of May 2, Manila City has logged 735 confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which, 573 are considered active. The number of recoveries stood at 98, while 64 fatalities have been recorded.

Tondo 1 has 102 active cases, second to Sampaloc's 119 tally. Tondo 1's death toll of 13 is the highest in the city.

--Report from Jekki Pascual and Kevin Manalo, ABS-CBN News