Danish Queen Margrethe II urges people to follow prevention amid virus outbreak

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark has an important request for the citizens of the country who are dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

As Denmark becomes the second country in Europe to go into lockdown in the wake of COVID-19, Queen Margrethe is urging the public to "create new hope in a difficult time."

"My thoughts go to each one in this country with the desire for hope and confidence and good courage," the 79-year-old said in a video message uploaded by the Danish Royal Court on Instagram.

In the video, the monarch referred to the novel coronavirus as a "chain that needs to be broken," and urged people to heed the advice of the authorities as "one person may infect many." She also urged the citizens of the country to practise social distancing and wash hands, reports Hello!

"I have an appeal to everyone: coronavirus is a dangerous guest. It spreads like rings in the water, and it's going fast. One person can infect many – even without feeling sick, and the infection goes on around to even more, a long and scary chain. In that chain, people will die," read the translation of the queen's message.

The royal, who has cancelled all royal engagements in the coming weeks including the grand events planned for the celebration of her upcoming 80th birthday in April, further said in her message: "A child can lose his grandmother, a daughter her father, a wife her husband. Friends suddenly don't want to be there anymore. This is the chain we need to break, and we can break. This can only happen when we all think about and do the same thing at the same time – and at the right time."

"The advice of the authorities is actually quite simple: wash hands. Keep your distance. Avoid physical contact. Stay at home," the mother-of-two concluded.

Meanwhile, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary cut short their children's three-month stint at Lemania-Verbier International School, to "stand with the Danes" and "look after each other" in the testing times. "In light of the worsening situation in Denmark in connection with the handling of the spread of COVID-19, the Crown Prince couple has decided that the family will leave home from Switzerland," the Danish royal court said in a statement.

Mary had temporarily relocated to Switzerland on January 6 with her four children- Prince Christian, 14, Princess Isabella, 12, and twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, nine, for a 12-week spring term at Lemania-Verbier International School, while Crown Prince Frederik visited them according to his schedule.