SEE: Grandma's B-Day Surprise Carries On, In Spite Of Coronavirus

DANVILLE, CA — Joyce Schmidt may not have been allowed to have guests or leave her Brookdale Diablo Lodge suite due to concerns about the new coronavirus, but her family wasn't about to let her celebrate the big 91 on her own.

Her family had initially planned for a dinner party, but they soon realized they should call off the celebration as a precaution, said granddaughter Erica Hobby. At the time of Schmidt's birthday, public health officials were recommending social distancing and Bay Area counties were not yet under shelter-in-place orders.

So unbeknownst to grandma, they braved the rain, showed up with raincoats and umbrellas, practiced social distancing to the best of their abilities by arriving in separate cars and standing apart, and staked out spots on the patio beneath her balcony, Hobby said.

Hobby's 17-year-old daughter called Schmidt and told her to come outside. Schmidt — dressed up in jewelry like she had somewhere to be — stepped out onto her balcony, saw 10 of her loved ones and waved like a princess, Schmidt said.

They sang "Happy Birthday" and lifted posters and whiteboards marked with messages of love and celebration.

"She was really grateful," Hobby said.

Though Schmidt had to remain inside for her own safety, she had a busy day of watching movies on Hallmark and the Turner Classic Movies package her family bought her as a present.

What better way to ring in your 91st than with a movie marathon?

See her family sing "Happy Birthday" here: