The CDU chairman Friedrich Merz considers the decision of several federal states to remove the obligation to isolate people infected with corona to be justifiable.

"When I first read the message, I had a certain uneasiness," Merz told the newspapers of the Funke media group. "On reflection, however, it seems to me to be responsible to proceed as Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Hesse and Schleswig-Holstein are now doing." Corona rules are only required to a “very limited extent”, said Merz.

Anyone who has been infected with the corona virus no longer has to go into isolation everywhere in Germany: Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg had abolished the corresponding regulation on Wednesday, Schleswig-Holstein will follow on Thursday. Hesse had also announced this, but the time for this is still open.

"The time when there was a high risk of infection with a severe course of the disease is over," Merz told the Funke newspapers. "We should also try to return to a largely normal life as quickly as possible - even with Corona." Merz said he did not share the "almost siren-like alarmism" of Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD). "We should return to normality and officially declare Corona over by spring next year at the latest," he demanded.