People infected with the coronavirus in Germany will still be required to self-isolate from May following a U-turn from Health Minister Karl Lauterbach.
As part of a gradual lifting of anti-coronavirus measures - or at least those that are decided upon by the federal government rather than the individual states - Lauterbach had planned to make quarantine voluntary from May 1.
He told German media on Tuesday evening, however, that he had changed his mind. Explaining the decision on Twitter on Wednesday, he wrote: "Ending the order to isolate by the health authorities after an infection in favour of a voluntary system would be wrong and will no longer happen. I made a mistake here."
The planned change would have relieved the burden on health authorities, but it would send a "wrong and harmful" signal, he said.
"Coronavirus is not a cold. Therefore, there must continue to be isolation after infection. Ordered and controlled by the health authorities."
The isolation period would still be reduced to five days as planned, he said.
Another difficult day is looming for Lauterbach on Thursday, with his earlier hope for a general vaccine mandate expected to be quashed by parliament.
In a free vote lawmakers will choose from a range of options, but the introduction of compulsory vaccination for all over-18s is unlikely to muster enough support in the Bundestag. Lauterbach has since supported a compromise proposal for a staged introduction of compulsory vaccination.
Germany's three-party coalition is itself split on the issue. Senior figures in the liberal Free Democrats, for example, have tabled a motion rejecting any vaccine mandates.
