The figure far exceeds the next highest total of 7,830 recorded last Friday, and is a steep jump from the 7,595 cases reported on Wednesday by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).
At least 380,762 people have been infected in Germany since the start of the pandemic, with 9,875 deaths reported. A total of 30 people died within the last 24 hours, the RKI reported on Thursday. Around 306,100 people are believed to have recovered from the virus so far.
A press conference was expected later Thursday morning, the institute announced.
Germany, like many European countries, has been facing a sharp increase in Covid-19 cases for several weeks.
Faced with the rebound, authorities have toughened anti-pandemic measures, such as banning large gatherings.
READ ALSO: What you need to know about Germany's new coronavirus measures for autumn
Local restrictions have also been imposed – in Berlin, it is now compulsory to wear a mask on certain busy streets.
On Saturday, Chancellor Angela Merkel asked citizens to cut down on socialising, encouraging them to stay at home instead.
"What winter will be, what our Christmas will be, will be decided in the days and weeks to come," she warned.
The country, hailed for its management of the first wave of the virus earlier this year, has in recent days broken several records for new infections in 24 hours.
READ ALSO: How and where coronavirus cases are rising in Germany
The number of confirmed cases is higher than the peak of the first wave in March and April when around 6,000 daily infections were registered. However, the current figures are only comparable to those from spring to a limited extent, because considerably more testing is now taking place – and therefore more infections are being detected.
ANALYSIS: How and where coronavirus cases are rising in Germany
Since the beginning of September, the number of virus tests per week has fluctuated between 1.1 and 1.2 million – with a very slight upward trend. However, the positive rate has risen from 0.75 to 3.63 percent during this period. For a fortnight now, the sample backlog has been rising again. Some laboratories pointed out delivery difficulties for working materials.
Most recently, almost a third of all districts and towns covered by the RKI were above the threshold value of 50 new infections per 100,000 residents in a week. When areas hit warning thresholds, stricter measures come into force. Meanwhile, in around 30 districts and towns, the number of cases per 100,000 people in seven days is above 100.
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