Queen Maxima and family are practicing ‘social distancing’ as precaution following trip

Like the rest of us,  Queen Maxima ,  King Willem-Alexander  and their daughters, Princess Catharina-Amalia, Princess Alexia and Princess Ariane, are being cautious when it comes to the  coronavirus . The Dutch Royal House announced on Tuesday that the monarchs and Princesses are practicing “social distancing.” The preventive measure comes after it was revealed that there are five confirmed cases of coronavirus in Lech, Austria, where  the royals enjoyed a ski holiday late last month .

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“In the municipality of Lech, located in the federal state of Voralberg, there are five confirmed corona infections, the source of which is not immediately clear. In such cases, RIVM recommends avoiding new contacts and limiting existing contacts for two weeks,” the palace statement read. “This means that someone who is not sick should stay at home as much as possible until it is certain that this person is not infected. In the case of the coronavirus, that period lasts up to two weeks.”

The Dutch Royal House noted that the King, Queen and their daughters do not “have any health complaints” and that the precautionary measure will last through March 21. Due to the pandemic,  Willem-Alexander’s upcoming birthday celebration, King’s Day, was canceled in order to “combat the spread of the coronavirus.” 

On Tuesday, the Dutch royal family shared a video of themselves applauding “all care workers, to support them in their fight against the coronavirus and their commitment to the health of everyone in the Netherlands.” The day prior, Maxima and Willem-Alexander released a message of support saying, "Doctors and nurses are committed to tackling corona. We think of all patients and caregivers and all those in our Kingdom who are now under high voltage.”

They continued, “Entrepreneurs and freelancers who are concerned about their business, teachers looking for alternative teaching methods, administrators who do what is necessary. It is great that so many people show solidarity, if only by giving older people an extra sign of life. Thank you!”