Muted celebrations of Dutch king's birthday amid pandemic

The Dutch have celebrated their king’s birthday in muted fashion as a coronavirus lockdown prevents large-scale street parties for the second year running

AMSTERDAM -- The Dutch celebrated their king's birthday Tuesday in muted fashion as a coronavirus lockdown prevented large-scale street parties for the second year running. This year, the national holiday comes with lockdown fatigue rising and a day before an easing of some restrictions even though hospitals are having to postpone regular medical procedures so they can focus on the high level of COVID-19 patients. King Willem-Alexander was marking his 54th birthday in the southern city of Eindhoven, a city that brands itself as a hub for high-tech innovation, for a digital version of the annual royal walkabout. The King's Day national holiday is usually an occasion for the Dutch to drape themselves in orange clothes, hats and feather boas, sell old toys and books in street markets and crowd the streets of major cities.