COVID-19: Californians stranded abroad make desperate plea to come home

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Several Californians, including some from the Central Valley, remain stranded as countries close their borders, and they made a desperate plea on Thursday to be allowed to come home.

David Lockwood and his friends shared videos of chaos in Peru while Americans are left with their luggage on the streets.

"There are foreign nationals not prepared financially. There's many on the streets because hotels have jacked up the prices," says Lockwood.

Lockwood is from Fresno, while the rest of his group is from Southern California. All of them are stuck in Lima as their flights were canceled, and no one could get a flight back home.

Teri Ann Schlesser from Soft Rock 98.9 FM is on vacation in Honduras and now trapped on a small island near the mainland.

Restaurants are now solely takeout while beaches are bare.

She says nearly 1,000 Americans on the island are in the same boat.

"We have a tentative flight for Monday, but if the government does not agree with those travel plans we will be stuck here until the first of April," she says.

Schlesser is hoping her flight will take off.

The travelers in Peru say their hope is fading, and want the US government to do more to help.

"We can't even get an answer back from the embassy. If we need to self-quarantine, stay at the airport, get tested, whatever it takes, all we want is to get back home," says Lockwood.