Stranded: Bronx friends stuck off Honduras coast after country closes border

A group of friends from the Bronx are stuck on an island off the coast of Honduras since the country closed its borders on March 15.

News 12 Staff

Mar 22, 2020, 2:39 AM

Updated 1,659 days ago

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A group of friends from the Bronx are stuck on an island off the coast of Honduras since the country closed its borders on March 15.
They spoke to News 12 Saturday and pleaded for help.
Yusan Rubio and her friends went on vacation there on March 12, but their excitement was cut short as the country took measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
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“We knew about the coronavirus, but we didn't know it was going to affect us the way it's affecting us," says Rubio.
She says they tried to get an earlier flight back but to no avail.
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The friends say they were evacuated from their first hotel, are running out of money, and stranded on the island of Roatan.
CNN reported that the U.S. Air Force evacuated the U.S. women's football team Friday, as well as other citizens. Rubio says her group is among roughly 300 people still stranded.
On Thursday, the State Department issued a level 4 advisory against all international travel. A state department official told News 12:
"The Department of State has no greater priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas. We are exploring all options to address the current travel disruptions. We strongly encourage U.S. citizens to continue working with their airline and/or travel arranger to confirm flight options beyond March 22, 2020."
Rubio hopes flights booked after March 22 won’t be canceled.