Over the last 24 hours, health authorities across the country recorded 1,707 new cases, bringing the total number of infections so far to 228,621, the government’s Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for disease control said.

The last time the number was higher was on April 26, when 1,737 new infections were reported.

Germany’s epidemic reached its peak in early April, when cases were rising by over 6,000 daily.

The numbers had been falling since late July, but that trend has reversed recently, stoking fears of a second wave of infections.

However, the spike also comes in the wake of a significant rise in testing.

According to the RKI, 9,253 people have died in Germany after catching the novel coronavirus, which can cause the Covid-19 lung disease. That was up by 10 compared to Wednesday.

The institute estimates that around 204,800 people have recovered after catching the virus.