TORONTO -- Canada has reported its highest number of COVID-19 cases in a single day, breaking a record set in the spring as two provinces announced their worst one-day tallies.

According to CTVNews.ca’s coronavirus tracker, Canada recorded 2,786 new cases on Thursday, breaking the previous record of 2,698 cases, which was set on Oct. 17.

This is also the first time the country surpassed the May 3 tally of 2,760 cases. This number was only as high as it was because it included 1,317 missing cases in Quebec from earlier in the pandemic. At the time, the province cited a computer error for the discrepancy.

Canada’s grim milestone comes as British Columbia and Alberta both broke new daily case records for the second straight day, adding 274 and 427 cases, respectively.

Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, attributed her province’s spike in cases to social gatherings.

“Much of the recent surge that we have seen in new cases in B.C in the last couple of weeks is directly linked to social events,” she said during a news conference. “These events have caused clusters and outbreaks that have now spilled over into our health-care system.”

Alberta’s top doctor cited Thanksgiving as the source of surging coronavirus cases there.

“The leading source of exposures for active cases right now are close contacts, and many of the cases that we are seeing now are the result of spread over Thanksgiving when families gathered together,” Dr. Deena Hinshaw said in her provincial update.

“People did not mean to spread COVID, but it is a reminder where social gatherings where social distancing and masking are not used consistently are a significant risk for spread.”

Quebec continues to be the epicentre of the pandemic in Canada, adding more than a thousand new cases for the sixth time in seven days. Ontario, the second hardest hit province, registered more than 800 new cases on Thursday.

Manitoba also broke a record, but not for the number of new cases. The province recorded its deadliest day with four deaths related to COVID-19.