André Rieu joins the coronavirus containment efforts in South Limburg

Other popular personalities from the Dutch region also backed the campaign

The progress in containing the coronavirus in Europe so far has been less than satisfying and this can be attributed to many reasons. Among them, the fact that despite the repeated insistence by authorities on the adherence of social distancing in order to stop the spread of Covid-19, many people still fail to do so.

The Netherlands has already witnessed the negative results of such actions - which is why the country reintroduced some restrictive measures last week. However, there are other ways to motivate people to adhere to the new rules - by making it socially acceptable.  This is what an information campaign by the South Limburg Safety Region in The Netherlands is intending to accomplish, by relying on the support by some recognisable faces.

Thank you for following the rules

The corona campaign in South Limburg, Supported by Visit Limburg, started on 6^th August with the main message being “it is good to follow the rules!”. The campaign draws extra attention to the importance of the anti-corona measures to the residents and visitors of the region. It relies on the idea that if everyone complies with the measures, the entire society will reap the benefits.

André Rieu is participating in the campaign together with other well-known Limburgers to support and deliver its message. In this way, the organisers want to draw the attention of young and old to the importance of the measures in a positive way.

The municipality wants to emphasize that even though the public spaces look almost normal again, the measures are there for a reason. Vulnerable people cannot take to the streets because others are less and less inclined to keep their distance. Moreover: nobody wants the easing of restrictions to be reversed so everyone has to stay home as much as possible.

Creating a social norm

André Rieu is a Dutch violinist and conductor known for founding the Johann Strauss Orchestra. So far, the awareness-raising campaign in South Limburg was also backed by other famous persons from the city like Pinkpop festival founder Jan Smeets and Anya Niewierra, Managing Director of Visit South Limburg.

Finally, there will also be rewards for those social network users who do their best to promote the campaign message. The five posts with the most likes on Facebook and Instagram will receive a dinner and gift card vouchers worth 50 euros. Participation is possible until the end of September with hashtag: #goeddatjederegelsvolgt #thankyouforfollowingtherules.