Wigan holidaymaker's tablets running out at Tenerife lockdown hotel

Alan Cunliffe was meant to have come home to Whelley on Friday after a fortnight in the Canaries.

But while the 82-year-old former builder is resigned to being kept in the H10 Costa Adeje Palace in La Caleta for at least another week, he is increasingly worried that the supply of pills he took with him for a stomach condition will soon be exhausted.

He has spoken to hotel staff to put out an order but so far, no relief has been forthcoming.

Mr Cunliffe, who was taking holiday alone following the recent death of his wife Mildred, says communications generally remain poor as he enters his third week at the hotel.

Wigantoday has also been able to get a straight answer to one of his questions either: that once his quarantine in Tenerife is complete and he is allowed home, will he and the scores of other British guests still stuck in the hotel, then have to go into another fortnight's quarantine in his home country.

We asked Public Health England this on Wednesday and they replied that it was a "very valid question" for which they did not have an instant answer but promised to make inquiries. Two days later, after no reply was forthcoming, wigantoday contacted PHE again and a spokeswoman apologised and said that this was a governmental matter and that we should contact the Foreign Office.

On contacting the Foreign Office, we were told that this was a domestic issue and should instead speak to the Department of Health. On ringing its press office, we were told that this was an issue to discuss with Public Health England! When informed that we had spoken to them in the first place and had been referred to the FO and then DoH, a spokeswoman said: "I'm afraid then this is not something we can comment on at the moment. Regular updates on developments will be made via Public Health England."

As for Mr Cunliffe, who has also had to weather a two-day sandstorm during his ill-fated stay, said: "It's the lack of information that is so frustrating.

"My main concern at the moment, though, is my medication. I take omeprazole which suppresses stomach acid because I have reflux. This isn't life or death stuff, it's more uncomfortable than anything, although if you live with this condition long enough and don't treat it, it can cause cancer.

"I have been in touch with the consulate in Santa Cruz and they told me to push for the medication. I went down to reception to see what was happening and I was told to fill in a form. They told me to put 'urgent' on it and I said 'this should have been urgent three days ago!'"

Of the 800 guests in the hotel have now been told that they can go home if they wish - including 50 Britons - because they arrived at the hotel after the Italian doctor guest who went down with coronavirus had left.

Sadly this does not apply to Mr Cunliffe who said: "I don't think I'll be able to get back to England until March 9 at the earliest. Meanwhile everyone is walking around in masks and for the most part it is very boring.

"Jet2 did say they would take guests back who had tested negative for coronavirus but, despite it being said that guests were being tested days ago, I've not had one nor seen anyone else being tested.

"One thing is for sure, I will be coming out of this hotel a different man from the one that went in. I was married for a long time and my wife and I did everything together.

"It's not been an entirely pleasant experience, but this has been confidence-building and helped me to stand on my own two feet. I'm learning the hard way."

Meanwhile there have now been 19 confirmed cases of covid-19 in the UK and it has now claimed its first British fatality: a man who was a passenger on the Diamond Princess cruise ship that has been quarantined off the coast of Japan since February 5.