Skaters take a selfie in Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto, Canada, on Dec. 3, 2020. Canada is seeing a continued increase in COVID-19 counts, reporting a total of 395,576 cases of COVID-19 and 12,395 deaths as of Thursday afternoon, according to CTV. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua)

OTTAWA, Dec. 3  -- Canada is seeing a continued increase in COVID-19 counts, reporting a total of 395,576 cases of COVID-19 and 12,395 deaths as of Thursday afternoon, according to CTV.

Canada's national-level data indicate daily averages of 6,044 new cases over the past seven days and 74,596 people tested daily, with 7.4 percent testing positive (Nov. 22-28), the Public Health Agency of Canada said Thursday.

Ontario saw 1,824 new cases on Thursday after several days of case numbers above the 1,700 mark and a rise in the number of patients battling COVID-19 in the province's intensive care units.

The number of new COVID-19 cases in Quebec continues to stay near the highest they've been since the COVID-19 pandemic began in the province, with authorities reporting 1,470 more cases on Thursday.

The Quebec government reversed its decision on holiday gatherings in most of the province on Thursday, citing a worrisome increase in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths over the past few days as the reason.

Meanwhile, Alberta set a new daily high on Thursday with 1,854 cases of COVID-19 after nearly 20,000 tests.

Both community transmission and outbreaks are contributing to COVID-19 spread in Canada, including spread to high-risk populations and settings, said the agency.

These developments are deeply concerning as they put countless Canadians at risk of life-threatening illness, cause serious disruptions to health services and present significant challenges for areas not adequately equipped to manage complex medical emergencies, added the agency.