The central districts on Friday reported a significant rise in COVID-19 cases with 653 persons testing positive for the virus. On Thursday, the region had reported 496 cases.
Three districts made up for a large share of the case load - Tiruchi reported 213 fresh cases while Thanjavur 144 and Nagapattinam 124.
Five deaths were reported for COVID-19 - two each in Thanjavur and Tiruchi and one in Nagapattinam.
Two men, aged 57 and 64, with pre-existing ailments of diabetes and hypertension died of the infection in Thanjavur. In Tiruchi, a 74-year-old man with bronchial asthma and a 64-year-old male with seizure disorder, and a 60-year-old woman with coronary artery disease also succumbed to COVID-19.
Tiruchi district recorded the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the region on Friday, nearly double the cases reported on the previous days. More than half of the 213 patients hailed from within city limits, senior health officials said. "We are declaring any apartment or household with more than three fresh cases as containment zones to contain the spread," the official said.
Thanjavur district reported 144 fresh cases while Nagapattinam district continued an increasing trend with 124 cases.
In Tiruvarur, 86 patients tested positive. Pudukottai reported 44 and Karur, 22. Ariyalur recorded 15 fresh COVID-19 cases and Perambalur five.
