The rise comes as German officials warned that the country and much of Europe may be experiencing a second wave of infections after months of steady or declining case numbers.
The Robert Koch Institute, Germany’s national health agency, said 4,058 new infections were reported Wednesday — a rise of more than 1,200 reported the day before.
The institute said outbreaks are associated with large celebrations among family and friends, and especially among younger people returning from travel.
“I’m very concerned about this,” Health Minister Jens Spahn told reporters in Berlin on Thursday, urging Germans to respect distancing and hygiene rules, The Associated Press reported.
Some of the recent cases in the Kaiserslautern area included five at Ramstein Intermediate School, where more than 700 students attend class on Ramstein Air Base. The school has been closed since Sept. 25 due to the outbreak and is still scheduled to reopen Wednesday, Department of Defense Education Activity-Europe spokesman Stephen Smith said Thursday.
Another case was confirmed in a student at Ramstein Middle School last week, the only recent confirmed case at Kaiserslautern-area schools, Smith said. The school has not shut down.
