- Title: Tourists trapped in Colombia by coronavirus hope for flights home
- Date: 25th March 2020
- Summary: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA (MARCH 24, 2020) (REUTERS) CHILEAN TOURISTS, MIGUEL SARABIA, AND, PAULINA MEZA, WITH THEIR FIVE CHILDREN AT AIRPORT SARABIA WITH HIS CHILDREN SON OF SARABIA AND MEZA WALKING MEZA WALKING WITH HER SON (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CHILEAN TOURIST, MIGUEL SARABIA, SAYING: "It's now been three and a half days and there are people that are falling into despair because we've been without food, without supplies, this whole time we've been living off the goodwill of the people that work in the airport." GIRLS PLAYING CHILDREN WITH BUILDING BLOCKS FACE OF CHILD (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CHILEAN TOURIST, PAULINA MEZA, SAYING: "It's hard to sleep here because we get cold, because even though they clean and everything the insects bite us, there's this thing that makes noise all night, the lights go on and off all night. The baby obviously isn't used to sleeping on these things, neither am I. With my belly like it is, it's hard to sleep here and we haven't had a good night." VARIOUS, EXTERIOR OF AIRPORT VARIOUS, TOURISTS SLEEPING IN AIRPORT VARIOUS, EMPTY AIRLINE COUNTERS INFORMATION POSTED ABOUT CORONAVIRUS SPANISH TOURIST AT AIRPORT (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SPANISH TOURIST, ABRAHAM FERRER, SAYING: "It's not pleasant because Spain is one of countries most impacted by the coronavirus. So, it's like going to the center of the infection." VARIOUS, MEZA WALKING WITH HER CHILDREN VARIOUS, CHILDREN PLAYING SARABIA WITH HIS SON (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CHILEAN TOURIST, MIGUEL SARABIA, SAYING: "We still have absolutely no idea when we're going to leave. I'd say the consul has been good to us, he's given us advice, he's brought some food, water, for example, but he isn't sure either when they're going to get us out of here, he doesn't know either when we'll leave here." VARIOUS, CHILDREN WITH MOBILE PHONE MEZA SHOWING HER BELLY COUPLE TAKING TO OTHER TOURIST
- Embargoed: 8th April 2020 21:48
- Keywords: Bogota Colombia El Dorado airport coronavirus stranded terminal tourism tourists
- Location: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
- City: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
- Country: Colombia
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001C6JYB7R
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Beneath the harsh fluorescent lights of El Dorado airport's check-in area, more than 100 stranded tourists bedded down for the night on spartan cots.
Outside, Colombia was settling in for a 19-day quarantine meant to stem the spread of coronavirus which has grounded international flights and left foreigners wondering how and when they might get home.
The would-be travelers, from countries including Chile and Spain, are hoping for special flights home.
The government of President Ivan Duque, like many around the world, has introduced strict measures to combat the spread of coronavirus. Flights are blocked, long-distance transport is restricted and Colombians are to stay home until mid-April.
The Andean country has 378 confirmed cases of the disease and three deaths. Globally the outbreak has claimed more than 18,800 lives.
Many tourists were caught out by closures, unable to find flights home amid rescheduling and priced increases.
Apart from the 157 sleeping at the airport, thousands more are thought to be living in hotels and other accommodation, though migration officials could not confirm a figure.
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