The Robert Koch Institute has recorded 1.707 new cases of coronavirus in Germany in the past 24 hours, the highest daily toll since the end of April. While testing capacity has been significantly increased over the past few days, that alone does not explain the rise in cases. 

Daily coronavirus cases in Germany return to April levels

The number of daily new coronavirus infections in Germany has risen to its highest level since the end of April. Germany’s centre for disease control, the Robert Koch Institute, confirmed 1.707 new coronavirus infections on Thursday morning. 10 more deaths have been reported since yesterday.

The last time the number of daily cases was higher was on April 26, when 1.737 new infections were recorded within 24 hours - although this number is still significantly lower than in early April, at the height of the pandemic in Germany, when more than 6.000 new cases were being reported every day. While the numbers tumbled dramatically throughout April, May and June, they have been rising again since the end of July. 

More testing equals more positive results

The rising number of cases can be partly explained by a recent, significant increase in the number of tests being carried out. According to RKI data, around 578.000 tests were taken in the week from July 27 to August 2, but two weeks later the number was more than 875.000. In the week of April 20 - 26, the number of tests carried out was just 364.000, giving a positive result rate of five percent, compared to just one percent, currently. 

However, the RKI was keen to emphasise that the increasing number of cases could not only be explained by the higher testing rate - and that other factors, like returning holidaymakers and an increasingly lax attitude towards social distancing measures, were also to blame. 

Chancellor Angela Merkel warned on Tuesday that, given the current development of the pandemic in Germany, there could be no further relaxation of coronavirus restrictions. She urged everyone to follow hygiene precautions and reminded those returning from risk areas that quarantine was “a must” if they could not produce a negative test.