Items

• 
  2020-03-26

  Coronavirus Eyes

  I was diagnosed with Coronavirus a little over two weeks later but I had just started to feel the symptoms. My wife swears that everyone she has seen (herself, me and people on television) have these very distinctive puffy Coronavirus eyes. It is May 3, 2020 and I have finally tested negative and my eyes are no longer swollen. I think she may be on to something. #HST643
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  2020-04-04

  Orlando testing site closed fast again!

  Orlando testing site closed fast again! while sitting in it. 250 tests a day with restrictions to qualify for testing in April is not acceptable from our country in my opinion. #HST643
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  2020-04-04

  Hours wasted in line for Covid-19 testing in Orlando Florida, still only open with many restrictions

  You still need to have a fever and be in a high risk group to get in a huge line for the potential to get one of the 250 tests available daily for all of Central Florida. #HST643
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  2020-04-03

  Florida Testing site finally dropped the 65 and over age requirement for testing. We are going to try now.

  The drive up testing site is finally open to those under the age of 65 with a fever and symptoms. My wife and I will try for a week to get tested because there are only 250 tests per day and thousands of cars lined up by hours before they open. #HST643
• 
  2020-03-21

  A perfect return home gift from our daughter

  After two full days of traversing the world from Marrakech to two London airports, to JFK airport New York, to Orlando, we found this wonderful surprise in our car when our daughter dropped it off for us, so we could get to our Timeshare without possibility infecting anyone from our family. *Scott Mentel #HST643 & wife Tammy Mentel *iPhone photo *Scott Mentel #HST643
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  2020-03-21

  A commercial message of Coronavirus action and hope via my Whats App group “Stuck in Morocco”

  Videos and pictures were automatically shared in my photo library via the Whats App group “Stuck in Morocco.” I wish I knew the source of the social media commercial as it states in 4 weeks they have “eradicated” the virus and I do not believe that is true for any country. But it also showcases the extreme measures other countries went to in an effort to protect their citizens. We have been in five states towards our journey home to New Jersey for the past six weeks in America and witnessed very little universal and national measures of safety truly being followed. *Scott Mentel #HST643
• 
  2020-03-20

  At least they are offering one more repatriation flight home!

  Thankfully due to an American outcry for help because the first flights were announced so last minute, the US Embassy arranged for another flight out of Morocco on March 22, 2020 Morocco ACSCasablanca@state.gov #HST643
• 
  2020-03-20

  Repatriation Flights into only 11 USA Airports

  Repatriation flights from other countries had to fly one of 11 airports in our nation. Cities now with some of the highest outbreaks of Coronavirus. Coincidence??? US Embassy Rabat and screenshot from my wife via the Facebook group
• 
  2020-03-20

  US Embassy in Morocco finally replies to its stranded citizens. Take note, the announcement was made at 12:18 am the morning of the flights.

  This is a screen shot of the email sent to stranded Americans in Morocco who registered with STEP when traveling, letting us know there would be several flights chartered out of Marrakech Morocco only. A signed waiver to repay the $1475 cost of the flight was required. This was the first correspondence Americans received since the shut down of Morocco and many were too far away to get to these flights. Many were in Rabat waiting hours to get into the Embassy only to be turned away. With public transportation limited and Americans dispersed all over Morocco, these chartered flights left at 25% capacity to London while many other countries opened their repatriation flights to everyone into, the US flights were not full, with people from other countries waiting and went to London first. Not only did they fail to help their own citizens in a timely and acceptable manner, they selfishly refused to help anyone else. Embarrassed to call ourselves American during a pandemic impacting all nations and people’s. Scott Mentel & wife Tammy Mentel #HST643
• 
  2020-03-19

  U.K. in Morocco Tweet to help get any person of any nationality out of closed down Morocco due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.

  A screen shot of f this tweet to share with others in my What’s App group “Stranded in Morocco.” My wife and I were able to book this flight for a reasonable price. Might I note we were out in the Sahara Desert without service or news when the country shut down and after desperately trying to get help from our Embassy, with no success, we turned to the British Embassy for help and support. Original iPhone screenshot from Twitter. #HST643
• 
  2020-03-20

  Getting close to check-in time at the Marrakech Airport in Morocco. Repatriation flight thanks to the U.K. Embassy.

  Getting close to check-in time for our Ryanair repatriation flight to London from the Marrakech Airport in Morocco. Repatriation flights for England, Turkey, Germany, France and the Netherlands were taking off all week thanks to arrangements made by their governments. The United States finally replied to their citizens announcing there would be a few flights out on March 20, 2020 at a repayment cost of $1475 a person. This announcement was made at 12:01am on March 20, 2020, not allowing enough time for all Americans to get to Marrakech and flights were leaving at 25% occupancy. We worked with the U.K. Embassy and were able to get on a fully packed repatriation flight to London and then onto Orlando via JFK Airport in New York for a total of $925. So disappointed to be an American during this time. We had been traveling the world since late December and got caught up in the Coronavirus pandemic trying to out-run it. Only to have it finally catch up to us in Morocco. Original iPhone video. #HST643
• 
  2020-03-20

  Repatriation Flight out of Marrakech Airport Morocco.Thanks to the U.K. Embassy.

  This is a video my wife Tammy took from the Marrakech airport approximately 8 hours before we were to board a flight on Ryan Air to London and then onto Orlando, Florida as a repatriation flight negotiated by the United Kingdom after Morocco abruptly shut down all flights in and out of Morocco. It was a surprisingly happy place but also a potential hotbed for the spread of the virus. #HST643 Scott and wife Tammy Mentel, iPhone video