ORLANDO, Fla. — Just imagine being stranded in another country and not knowing when you will get home because of flight cancelations and restrictions due to COVID-19, the coronavirus.
WFTV spoke with a Tampa man in Peru with his wife, two young kids and his mother, who were scheduled to come back to Florida on Sunday, but flights have been cancelled.
“Right now, we don't know if we'll be stuck here until the 31st or until May 6 when American flights start going again, or even further,” Jesse Curry said.
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Curry said when they arrived on March 13, the streets were vibrant, the city was lively and the store shelves were full.
But now he describes a struggle to find food, and quiet streets filled with law enforcement making sure that people stay inside.
“There are some folks here that have medications they’ve been unable to get,” Curry said. “There's a woman who was unable to find baby formula.”
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Curry said there are thousands of Americans in Peru for work and spring break. One person is allowed to leave the house at a time, limited to and from the grocery store or pharmacy, and they are all anxious to get home.
“We've seen a lot of folks that have been taken advantage of,” Curry said. “There's people offering fake charter flights asking for cash payments.”
He says there are no indications of when flights will resume, but until then, he along with thousands of Americans will have to sit and wait for good news.
“It’s a very different situation for everybody but everybody really wants some assuredness as to when they can go home,” Curry said.
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