Germany recorded the highest number of new coronavirus cases in more than four months, as infections exceeded 2,000 in the 24 hours to Saturday morning.

Cases rose by 2,034 to 232,082, the most since April, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute, the German government’s monitoring agency. The number of daily cases reached current peaks at the end of March and in early April.

There were seven fatalities linked to virus complications through Saturday morning, taking the total number of deaths to 9,267, Robert Koch said.

German cases jumped this month as authorities boost testing and summer travellers return home, according to the institute. Over 40 schools in Berlin recorded infections in the two weeks since opening after the summer break, the Berliner Zeitung reported on August 20.

Chancellor Angela Merkel on August 18 ruled out any further easing of restrictions in place to combat the virus. Germany is “still in the middle of a pandemic,” she said.