Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte demonstrated the challenge of observing his 'no handshake' rule, when he accidentally shook hands with a health official moments after announcing it at a news conference on Monday (March 9).

Rutte quickly realised his gaffe and jokingly touched elbows with the official.

The policy was announced as the number of people infected with the Covid-19 coronavirus in the Netherlands increased to 321 on Monday, up from 264 a day earlier.