A 67-years old British woman has recounted her ordeal after being stranded on the Caribbean Island because of the Coronavirus pandemic, as she is finally set to return home.
Retired TV producer Ceri Smith had been on holiday with her brother in Bequia, an island similar whose nearest airport is in Barbados, 114 miles away.
However, her intended return to the United Kingdom was foiled by lockdown measures to combat the Coronavirus, as her return flight with Virgin Atlantic from Barbados on April 1 was cancelled.
Ms Smith and other Brits in the region have struggled to make contact with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), which remarkably has relied on Facebook and Twitter to pass on information to stranded UK citizens.
But to her relief, on May 23, The FCO announced three flights would leave Barbados on June 3, 4 and 5, charging each passenger £600.
Speaking on the turn of events, “I’m out here with my brother who’s 73 and has a lung condition,” said Ms Smith, who lives off Askew Road. “It’s been such a fiasco. The communication has been really dreadful.
“I realised I’m in a privileged position here. My landlady has cut me a deal but some people have been struggling to find accommodation.
“I have not enjoyed the frustration of dealing with the Foreign Office or with Virgin.”
