Coronavirus: Fears for asthma and diabetes backpacker 'trapped' in Peru

Tom Brewerton: "It's really urgent to get back"

A backpacker "trapped" in Peru is among more than 250 travellers trying to get back to the UK after flights out of the country were suspended.

Tom Brewerton, 27, has asthma and diabetes and has self-isolated in a Lima hotel amid concerns about the effects of Coronavirus on asthmatics.

He fears that his supplies of insulin will run out before flights resume.

UK charity the Lucie Blackman Trust is working with Mr Brewerton and others to get them back to the UK.

Video editor Mr Brewerton, from Sampford Peverell, Devon, has been backpacking since February but said he missed the last flights out Peru after being given 24 hours to leave.

He said: "It's really urgent that I get back soon.

"I'm just really concerned about getting the virus out here as asthma is a respiratory disease and I don't have a lot of faith in the Peruvian health system," he said.

"I'm also concerned about running out of supplies.

"I've been told supplies are hard to get here and I only have enough insulin to last another month."

Tom Brewerton

Charity the Lucie Blackman Trust said it was "working hard" with the Foreign Office to get the Britons home from Peru

Matthew Searle of the Lucie Blackman Trust said the charity was "working hard" with the Foreign Office to get more than 250 Britons home from Peru.

"We're trying to get them out as soon as possible," he said.

"I am sure we can get them back but I cannot say. We shall not stop working until we have got them out."

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We recognise that any British people currently overseas may be nervous about the impact of coronavirus on their travel and their health."

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