Sydney couple's honeymoon nightmare as they're forced into lockdown
Two Australians are stranded in Peru after the South American country imposed a lockdown while they were on their honeymoon.
Gabrielle and Matthew Ryan were forced to cut their eight-month long biking tour around South America short when the coronavirus pandemic forced Peru into lockdown, effectively banning travel between cities.
The couple is more than 850km away from Lima, where they could make their way back home, according to Nine News.
Ms Ryan told the network the government had made it “very clear they’re not interested in coming and getting us”.
The government has been working with an Australian travel company based in Peru to charter a flight out of Lima this weekend, but the tickets cost $5,000.
“The safety of citizens shouldn't be discriminated on their ability to pay,” Ms Ryan told Nine News.
Another Australian stranded in Peru, Thomas Curnow, spoke to AAP on Friday and said the flight was completely sold out.
The travel company chartering the rescue flight has organised to get people from Cusco to Lima, but Mr Curnow says people outside the two cities are stuck.
"There's about 300 of us outside Cusco and Lima wondering how we are going to get home," he told AAP on Friday.
The stranded 25-year-old hit out at the government and the $5,000 plane ticket which he labelled a “burden”.
“No financial support, and with tickets at $5000 it's a burden on most people,” he said.
“For a country that's just bailed out its national airline it's a disgrace they haven't helped in any other way.”
Mr Curnow said the only thing the Australian government has done was facilitate the permissions needed for the flight to take off.
“They haven't done anything else,” Mr Curnow said.
More than 260 Australian nationals and permanent residents are expected to be on the fully booked flight out of Peru, which is subject to final approval from local authorities, AAP reported on Friday.
According to Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Centre, 671 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Peru with 16 reported deaths as of Sunday.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has had more than 18,500 requests for assistance from Australians stranded overseas since March 13.
Australians have now been banned from travelling overseas as authorities try to contain the virus.
With AAP
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