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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Germany makes Covid quarantine voluntary from May 1

Germany makes Covid quarantine voluntary from May 1

Published Apr 5, 2022 06:38 am

BERLIN, Germany - Germany will no longer impose compulsory quarantines on people infected with the coronavirus from May 1, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said Monday.

Isolation remains "strongly recommended", said Lauterbach, but he added that it will from next month be done "on a voluntary basis".

"The current rules work but (it) is not necessary in the long term," he said.

The only exceptions are employees of medical institutions, who must continue to isolate for five days if they catch the virus, he said.

Infection numbers in Germany remain high, but with most cases reported to be mild, hospitals have not been overwhelmed.

As a result, Europe's biggest economy has relaxed coronavirus curbs, lifting a requirement to wear masks in shops or schools.

An initial drive by Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government for compulsory vaccinations has also petered out.

As a proposal to introduce mandatory jabs for over-18s was unlikely to win a majority in parliament, the government committee working on the plan has scaled down its ambitions to look at compulsory vaccinations for over-50s.

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