The number of confirmed new coronavirus infections is at its highest level since May in Germany.

And now authorities say more young people are becoming infected by Covid-19. That's shown by the average age of people contracting the disease, which currently stands at around 34.

Health Minister Jens Spahn called for people to be “very vigilant with each other”.

“Last week we had an average age of 34-years-old, the lowest average age since the beginning (of the pandemic),” Spahn said on German broadcaster ZDF's Morgenmagazin show.

The average age of coronavirus patients in June was 49-years-old.

Spahn urged people to be careful not to spread the virus among family, friends or at work.

Germany on Thursday reported another increase in new coronavirus cases, with 1,445 within 24 hours.

Spahn said the health system could handle the current situation. However, he warned that Covid-19 can “quickly gain momentum”.

He said it was important for schools, Kitas and businesses to get back to regular operation but said “parties, big events such as stadiums full of thousands of spectators,” still needed to be avoided.

Spahn 'optimistic' about a vaccine

Meanwhile, the Health Minister said he believed a Covid vaccine would become available soon.

“I'm optimistic that in the next months, and certainly in the next year, there can be a vaccine,” Spahn said, adding that he did not know exactly when a vaccine would be ready.

“One thing we can say is that thanks to us all working together  – researchers, scientists, the public  – we will probably have a vaccine faster than ever before in the history of humanity,” he added.

His comments come after the Robert Koch Institute, Germany's public health agency, withdrew a report claiming there would be a vaccine by autumn this year.

The RKI said the report was not up-to-date and had been published by mistake.