New outbreaks of COVID-19 are being detected across the country as health officials work around the clock to stem the spread of the virus ahead of the holidays.

Data released by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) on Thursday suggests Quebec, New Brunswick and the Yukon have recorded the highest rate of cases over the previous seven days.

The PHAC data suggests that as of Dec.16, the national rate of cases over the last seven days per 100,000 population was recorded at 92.

However, Quebec, New Brunswick and the Yukon each had a rate of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population, higher than was reported nationally.

Manitoba and Ontario rounded out the top five, but both regions reported case rates lower than 92 per 100,000.

Here’s a closer look at what’s going on in these areas.

1. QUEBEC

As of Dec. 16, Quebec had seen 166 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population over seven days, according to the data released by PHAC.

Within Quebec, provincial data released Friday showed the Estrie region had recorded highest active case rate per 100,000 in the province, at 363.2.

As of Dec. 17, Montreal had 298.5 active cases per 100,000, while Laval was reporting 269.8 active cases per 100,000.

By Friday, there were still 19,558 active COVID-19 cases in Quebec, with a provincial case rate per 100,000 of 227.7, according to the data.

2. NEW BRUNSWICK

The PHAC numbers also showed that by Thursday, New Brunswick was reporting the second-highest number of cases per 100,000 over the last seven days at 117.

Provincial data shows that the province’s Zone 3, which includes Fredericton, saw the largest increase in cases for the province on Thursday, with 66 new cases reported.

As of Dec. 16, Zone 3 had seen a total of 2,391 coronavirus infections since the pandemic began, 521 of which were still considered to be active.

3. YUKON

Meanwhile, a rate of 109 cases over the last seven days, per 100,000 population as of Dec. 16, has been reported in the Yukon as of, according to the PHAC data.

The numbers show 47 new infections were reported over the last seven days, for a total of 1,614 cases in the territory since the beginning of the pandemic.

On Thursday, eight new COVID-19 cases were reported in the territory, though the Yukon still has not reported any COVID-19 related fatalities.

Territorial data suggests 1,559 of its cases are considered recovered, while 48 remain active.

Data from Wednesday suggests the majority (25) of the active cases were in Whitehorse, with 10 active cases in Old Crow.

Three active COVID-19 infections were reported in Beaver Creek, while one was in Carmacks.

4. MANITOBA

In Manitoba, as of Dec. 16, the number of cases over the last seven days per 100,000 sat at 90, according to the PHAC data.

The PHAC data said in Manitoba, 1,247 new cases were reported over last seven days.

The latest provincial data suggests the province’s southern region -- serviced by the Southern Health-Santé Sud, -- was reporting the province’s highest five-day test positivity rate, at 12.9 on Dec. 14.

The data shows that on Dec. 14, 206.2 tests per 100,000 had been conducted in the region.

The website cautions, though, that test positivity rates can be “highly variable.”

“Particularly in regions with smaller populations, based on the number of tests conducted and whether there are communities in active outbreak,” the website reads.

According to its website, Southern Health-Santé Sud covers 20 rural municipalities in Manitoba, including four cities, four towns, 1 village, 1 unorganized territory and seven First Nation communities.

The latest provincial data says that as of Thursday, there were 485 active COVID-19 cases in the Southern Health-Santé Sud’s jurisdiction, with 11,688 having been reported to date.

As of Thursday, the test positivity rate in Manitoba was at 6.6 per cent.

5. ONTARIO

The PHAC website said as of Dec. 16, the number of COVID-19 cases over seven days in Ontario sat at 79 per 100,000 population.

A total of 11,730 cases were reported in the province over the last seven days, PHAC said.

On Friday, provincial officials said 3,124 new COVID-19 cases and five deaths were reported in the province.

The rolling seven-day average of daily COVID-19 cases now stands at around 1,914, marking a notable increase over the 1,005 recorded the previous week.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Dr, Piotr Oglaza, the medical officer of health for the Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox and Addington Public Health (KFLAPH), said the health unit had recorded the highest case rate in the country, and the highest-ever case rate reported by a public health unit over the course of the pandemic.

Data posted on the health unit’s website said the region is currently reporting 474.1 cases per 100,000 population over the last seven days.

Oglaza said the region’s percent positivity has more than doubled in a week, and sits at 7.1 per cent.

There were a total of 198 new infections in the region on Thursday, with a total of 1,272 active cases in the area.

Of the region’s 4179 confirmed infections, 1,257 are “confirmed variant of concern cases.”

What’s more, 25 people remained hospitalized in the area, with 14 in intensive care units. Eleven people were on ventilators, according to the KFLAPH website.