By: Andrew Deziel
4/6/2020
With the coronavirus pandemic forcing the cancellation of thousands of flights, a number of Minnesotans and other U.S. citizens now find themselves stranded far from home.
Anne Albers’s daughter Hannah is among those Minnesotans who was left stranded far from home by the pandemic. For Hannah, a long anticipated trip to Latin America quickly transformed into a nightmare. Isolated in the mountains of Peru, Hannah and her boyfriend Nick were caught off guard as the coronavirus swept the world. By the time they realized the gravity of the situation, Peru’s government had already moved to suspend foreign-bound flights.
Anne Albers said she did her best to reach out to the U.S. Embassy in Peru, but it was so swamped by calls that she wasn’t even able to leave a message. So she reached out to the offices of her members of Congress, Rep. Angie Craig, DFL-Eagan, and Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith.
Albers praised the response of Craig’s staff, particularly Constituent Advocate Caleigh Gumbiner. She said that Craig’s staff were in contact with her daily, helping her to navigate the complicated process.
“(Caleigh) took it personally,” Albers said. “She was like, ‘I will not stop fighting until they get back.’”
After spending time at a hostel near the airport, Hannah and Nick were allowed to board a flight to return to the U.S. Originally scheduled to travel on separate flights, they were both boarded a March 28 flight at the urging of Craig’s office. Landing first in Miami, they boarded connecting flights to Atlanta and then Miami. Upon their return, Hannah and Nick entered into voluntary self-quarantine, per the recommendation of health officials.
“There was a lot of confusion and they were able to cut through all of that for us,” Albers said of the congresswoman’s staff. “I don’t know if Hannah and Nick would be back yet if it weren’t for them.”
Craig’s staff have taken an active role in helping Minnesotans to return home. According to Craig, her office has helped Minnesotans stranded in Ecuador, Germany, Guatemala, Peru and the Philippines to return home.
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