A WREXHAM dad spoke of his distress after his son was told he may be stuck in quarantine in a Peruvian hostel for up to three months.

Alex Foulkes, of Chester Road in Garden Village, left the UK on January 14, to go travelling in South America.

His plan was to visit Columbia, Ecuador, Peru and Argentina.

Mr Foulkes, 31, spent time in Columbia and Ecuador before arriving in Cusco, Peru, on March 14, to stay at the Pariwana Hostel.

On March 15 the hostel authorities placed all 160 guests in quarantine.

One Mexican national who had left the hostel last week and arrived home in Mexico has tested positive for Coronavirus.

Steve Foulkes, Alex's father, said during this time British authorities were in the process of securing flights back to the UK from Peru.

But two of the guests at the hostel were subsequently taken ill and isolated in private rooms.

Mr Foulkes explained they were tested for the virus and on Wednesday (March 25), the tests came back positive.

He explained the authorities held a meeting at 12noon Peruvian time, the outcome being that all 160 guests at the hostel have been confined to their rooms, only being allowed out for 20 minutes per day.

Worryingly for Mr Foulkes, his son said guests have been warned that failure to comply with any of the restrictions imposed upon them could result in their arrest and face terms of up to 10 years imprisonment.

He and his wife Gillian now fear their son may not be able to board an immediate flight back to the UK as planned.

"We're distraught and worried to death - it only really hit home after this meeting of the hostel authorities yesterday," he said.

"He found out his friend from Leeds University, Jake Smart, was in South America at the same time and they decided to meet up at the hostel in Cusco. "The concern now is that they could miss their flights home because the hostel authorities have said they could be there for one to three months.

"We're also concerned they could fall foul of the restrictions because they have been told they could go to prison for five to ten years.

"He's saved up for this trip for about the last two years and his intention was to stay over there for about three months, which is nearly at its end.

"Now he has become caught up in this coronavirus nightmare."

Alex said: "It feels like being in prison. We literally just have beds in our rooms and the bathroom is shared by dozens of travellers.

"I’m not sure how we’ll cope with being confined to our rooms for the next three months for 23 hours a day.

"I’m sharing a room with three other people, but there are travellers here who are in a room of 10.

“There’s a mixture of emotions in the hostel at the moment.

"The news that we could be trapped here for three months is devastating.

"Obviously, there were lots of people shedding tears as the news was read out as nobody knows when they’ll be able to leave.

"I’m in shock as I originally thought we may be stuck here for around two weeks.

“It’s currently a very difficult time at the hostel. We’ve been under curfew for the last 10 days since Sunday, March 15 and now we find ourselves under strict quarantine.”

Speaking of his son's current wellbeing, he said: "The hostel staff have been arranging activities and quizzes for them and Alex said the food has been fine - it certainly hasn't been an awful place to be.

"We have been in touch with the Foreign Office.

"We understand the need for precautions but please don't let them be forgotten should they not be able to board an immediate flight home."

A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesman said: “We are pleased that the first repatriation flight for British people from Peru landed in the UK this morning and thank the Peruvian Government for their support.

“We are working urgently with the Peruvian authorities, international governments and airlines to organise more flights and continue to prioritise places for the most vulnerable. Our staff are supporting hundreds of British people across Peru, including those in Cusco.”