The Prime Minister thought it would be “wrong” to use a pilot testing scheme to avoid having to self-isolate, the vaccines minister said, as he defended the decision to lift Covid-19 restrictions.

Boris Johnson is spending England’s so-called “freedom day”, with most legal restrictions now abolished, self-isolating at his official country residence at Chequers following a U-turn over an initial attempt to use an opt-out testing regime.

Mr Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak – who were both “pinged” by NHS Test and Trace after coming into contact with Health Secretary Sajid Javid, who subsequently tested positive for the virus – initially tried to get round the requirement to quarantine by saying they would join a daily workplace testing programme being trialled by the Cabinet Office and No 10.

However, they were forced into a hasty reversal on Sunday amid widespread public anger at their “special treatment” while tens of thousands of people were being forced to miss work or school and stay home.

Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said the Government “don’t get every decision right” and admitted the Prime Minister had to rethink his initial decision.

Asked on ITV’s Good Morning Britain whether an error had been made in announcing that the Cabinet ministers would take part in the pilot, Mr Zahawi said: “Of course, and as soon as the Prime Minister realised that this would be wrong, he came out very clearly and said ‘We will self-isolate, that’s the right thing to do’.”

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said the Prime Minister had “done the right thing” by self-isolating and denied that it had been “damaging” for the Downing Street incumbent to have considered taking part in the testing scheme, which is not widely available to the public.

Mr Johnson will self-isolate until July 26, which will include the final Prime Minister’s Questions before the Commons goes into recess, and the two-year anniversary of him entering No 10, which is on Saturday.

The Prime Minister is having to bunker down on Monday while having given those in England some of their freedoms back following more than a year of restrictions.