Hundreds of people from Wisconsin are stuck in countries that have closed their borders to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Over the weekend, Sen. Ron Johnson and Sen. Tammy Baldwin called on the State and Defense Departments to help bring nearly 400 people home to Wisconsin. Several have expressed frustrations in recent weeks over attempting to book commercial flights home, only to be confronted with foreign leaders closing their borders with little notice.
Gwen Nytes dream study abroad program in Peru was cut short weeks ago, but she still has no way to get home to her parents in Plymouth.
"The day before our fights, the borders closed so it was all very fast," Nytes said.
Nytes is a student at UW Madison studying with a program called The School for Field Studies. She said that UW-Madison was the first to order her home among the group of 17 students and four staff that she's traveling with. They are not allowed to leave their hotel in Cusco.
James Cramer, President of the School for Field Studies wrote in an email that his team is working with the U.S. Embassy, American lawmakers, and the Peruvian government to figure out how to get the students and staff home.
"While our students and staff are currently in secure and comfortable lodgings in Cusco, we share parent's frustrations that students have not been able to return to their families. We are focused on getting them home to the U.S. as quickly and safely as possible," Cramer wrote in a statement.
A spokesperson for UW Madison said the University shares this concern and remain in contact with students who are still abroad to try and help them.
Nytes never thought this could happen during her study abroad experience.
"We never thought we’d be stuck here," Nytes said. "So it’s been kind of stressful, mostly because there's the possibility of a flight, and then all of the sudden it’s canceled, and that’s happened like three times," she said.
"Very frustrating," Nytes' parents Kristin and Sam said. "It’s a helpless feeling knowing that we really can’t do anything to get her home."
It's a similar situation for Daisy Grochowski, who's been living in Haiti since August. She helps lead up the organization Midwives for Haiti, which teaches locals how to safely help women give birth.
"We tried to fly out on Friday morning, and they were canceled," Grochowski said. "Our evacuation insurance secured a private plane that was then turned away."
The organization's executive director, Jane Drichta, wrote in an email, "These are unprecedented times. We just want to get our people out of Haiti. Flights can only land with express permission of the government, and right now they are being very cautious about Covid 19. Which, we completely understand. And if we were to become ill, we would definitely not want to be a burden to their already fragile health system. Midwives for Haiti has been in Haiti since 2006 and we are committed to the health of the women and children we serve. And we can serve them best right now, by getting out of their way."
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence addressed the Americans stuck abroad at a briefing Sunday afternoon. If you need similar assistance, contact the Smart Travelers Enrollment Programat 1-888-407-4747.