An American girl from the city of Philadelphia was left stranded across the globe in Australia due to travel regulations overseas to curb the spread of coronavirus, Your Content has exclusively learned.
“This is me. I am exhausted. Over the last four weeks it’s been a roller-coaster of every emotion.” Andi Cross wrote in a Facebook post Thursday. “My attempts to get home to America have been met with only hurdles.
“My flights have been cancelled not once, but five times. Yes you read that right—five.”
One of the largest airliners in the United States, American Airlines, announced intentions to cancel flights to and from Australia and the U.S. due to the pandemic.
“Due to the ongoing travel restrictions surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19), American is suspending customer and cargo flights between Los Angeles and Sydney between Sept 1 and Oct 28,” a spokesman told 9News.
“In the last four weeks, I haven’t been able to open my social media. Given the work that I do, my feeds have been filled with environmental devastation.” Cross added.
“I can’t escape our reality. At times, it’s crippling. The last month in particular has been extraordinarily hard to process.
“The truth is, this is our world right now. COVID variants a plenty. Natural crisis devour us. And I find myself so deeply agonizing over our future and where we’re headed as a species. I let these types of feelings rush over me so I know what it feels like. But only for a moment can it be all consuming.
“I refuse to let this train of though govern me. I will not let this bring me down. I will go on. I will come home. And I will do my part when it comes to attempting to restore our planet. I WILL, I CAN and I MUST is what pushes me on and drives me forward. I have completely abandoned I WON’T and I CAN’T as a way of coping with what’s in front of us.”
According to foreign reports, Singapore Airlines also confirmed last week it would be forced to fly some planes with cargo only in the latest blow for the 35,000 Australians who have told authorities they want to come home.
Australia has slashed the number of passengers allowed to fly in per week from just over 6000 to around 3000 – the lowest since the coronavirus pandemic began.
That is despite the tens of thousands wanting to come home from overseas and only one per cent of people in hotel quarantine, where everybody must spend 14 days at the cost of around $3000, actually testing positive for the virus.
Many have been battling to get seats for months.Everybody must test negative for the virus before boarding a plane.
Cross added: “For the most part—we choose how we want to show up every day. We choose to see the opportunity, or act as if there is none. We decide, write and own the story of our life. And right now, my choice is to look at these extreme obstacles as just another adventure that I need to go on in order to say I’ve lived and did my part.
“So, for all of you feeling hit hard over the last week, month, year—know you’re not alone. Covid has impacted us all in major yet very different ways. I’m here to remind you that we’re going to get through this. We have to get through this. And we are going to be better once we do.
“To my friends, family and colleagues in the USA—thank you for all the support. If I make it out, I will see you in a week to the day. Writing this is cathartic. It’s a chance to share with those who care to read and process, and perhaps find common ground. If you’ve made it this far, here’s to us working towards a better future. You can count on me that I’m certainly not giving up.”