Coronavirus: Couple return home after month on lockdown in India

Nairn and Elizabeth LawsonNairn and Elizabeth Lawson

Nairn and Elizabeth Lawson tested positive for coronavirus while in India

A couple have returned home after almost a month on lockdown in India where they were treated for coronavirus.

Nairn and Elizabeth Lawson were on holiday in Kerala when travel restrictions were put in place.

The couple, in their mid-70s, tested positive for coronavirus and were kept in separate hospital rooms for a week.

Mr Lawson said it felt "amazing" to return, adding: "There's no place like home."

They travelled to India on March 6 but found themselves stranded when government measures to stop the spread of coronavirus were put in place.

After testing positive for the virus, the Bristol couple were taken to hospital.

'Massive cheer'

Mr Lawson, 76, and 75-year-old Mrs Lawson, were transferred to a private hospital after six days spent in separate rooms when they were told not to see each other.

They said staff at the private hospital were "incredible" and they were taken to a hotel before securing a seat on a repatriation flight organised by the UK government on 16 April.

"It wasn't until those wheels touched down and the captain got one massive cheer, that we realised we were actually safe and sound again," Mr Lawson said.

"We felt like getting on our knees and giving the ground a kiss. We realised the small things in life are the most important."

The couple's daughter Katherine Webster said the whole family was "delighted" to have them home.

"It was quite stressful and we couldn't relax until moment they walked through the door," she said.

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