The Robert Koch Institute, Germany's centre for disease control, reported 201.1 cases per 100,000 residents last week. That breaks the record set last December of 197.6.
67% of Germany's population of 83 million is fully vaccinated. Authorities are struggling to speed up the vaccine intake and have been reluctant to enforce the sort of mandates seen in other nations.
Rules on access to venues vary from state to state. From today, the state of Saxony is requiring a vaccine pass for anyone attending cinemas, restaurants and sports venues.
The premier of the state of Thuringia controversially suggested that he may order hospitals to restrict intensive care access to the vaccinated, with unvaccinated patients transferred out of state.
In an effort to incentivise vaccinations, free rapid tests for all citizens were cancelled last month. There are now calls to have them reintroduced.
Germany's teachers have expressed concern at the rising rates among schoolchildren.
"There are frightening rates of infection among children and young people," said teachers' association president Hans-Peter Meidinger. "There's a great danger that we will lose control of the pandemic in schools."
