COVID-19 quarantine: Tamworth couple trapped in Peru hope for Commonwealth rescue flight

Sharon Stuart has spent 18 days trapped in the South American nation, after the holiday adventure of a lifetime turned into a nightmare.

Mrs Stuart and her husband Allan booked a flight out for Friday April 5, Peru time. It was the first flight they could get after the end of a 15 day national lockdown.

But with the state of emergency extended on March 26 the flight has been cancelled.

The couple are putting their hope in a rescue flight chartered by the Australian government. But she is frustrated it has taken so long, and said she feels "abandoned" by her country.

"Day after day we have seen other citizens of other nations leave," she said.

"Their governments through their embassies have organised travel documentation, private taxi permissions and have had clear communication on flights leaving the military air base in Lima.

"Australians and Kiwis appear to be the last foreign citizens in the country. It is quite embarrassing and frustrating to see this."

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Several hundred Australians trapped behind a flight ban managed to escape on a private flight on March 30. Tickets went for as much as $5800 per seat on the Chimu adventures chartered jet - but seats were so overbooked Mrs Stuart couldn't get one despite dozens of cancellations.

But many Australians remain trapped in the country, talking to each other through a Facebook group chat.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne said on Wednesday the government was working with Qantas to organise additional charter flights to South America.

In what Mrs Stuart said was a good sign, she was contacted by the Australian embassy on Thursday to confirm their address.

She said she hopes that means there will be a flight in the next few days.

In the meantime, the couple is living in lockdown in an Air BnB, glued to the TV for news updates.

"Our days in lockdown follow the same routine," said Mrs Stuart by email.

"We have daily check ins with our Peruvian Aussie Group and then about 3pm our time we sync with Australian time.

"We talk with family and friends - my children and close friends in Tamworth, and in Canberra , my mother and sisters who live in other parts of NSW and the ACT."

"We do go for a walk outside most days, we try to keep our supermarket shops to 3 times a week to limit the chance of COVID-19 transmission. We buy our bottled water and milk from the small shop across our street . Our AirBnb host has been most accommodating in allowing us to extend our booking beyond the first lockdown period."

The country still has fewer cases of the deadly coronavirus than Australia. And despite a declaration of martial law and very visible military presence, there has been no panic buying in Peru. The entire nation breaks into applause at 8pm every night in gratitude for the nation's medical staff.

But a national curfew has been tightened, citizens wear face masks to walk around outside, and the poor country lacks intensive care resources like respirators, she said.

If and when the nation's state of emergency is lifted Mrs Stuart fears civil unrest in rural and poorer areas reliant on daywork.

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