Wigan pensioner tells of coronavirus lockdown hell in Tenerife hotel

In an exclusive wigantoday interview, 82-year-old Alan Cunliffe confirmed he has now been confined to his room at the H10 Hotel Costa Adeje Palace for three days after a fellow guest went down with the potentially lethal bug and has spoken of his loneliness, boredom and a lack of decent food and drink.

His health is so far standing up well, but he says it has been worrying him that last week he was just feet away in the restaurant from a party of Italians, many of whom were coughing, before the quarantine was declared.

The former builder from Whelley lost his wife Mildred to Parkinson’s disease just before Christmas, having been her main carer for years.

His two-week break in the Canaries on his own was to have been a way of coming to terms with his loss and trying to relax.

But after a pleasant first week, it all went badly wrong, first with the resort being lashed for two days by a Saharan sandstorm, then the coronavirus emergency.

Alan said: “This holiday hasn’t worked out in any way how I hoped.

“I am lonelier here in this hotel room than I was at home; at least I’ve got some relatives there.

“The holiday firm Jet2 couldn’t be more helpful and keep me informed as best they can, although they point out that this scenario is out of their hands.

“But with first the sandstorm and then the coronavirus, the whole system has gone to pot in this place. No-one seems to be able to tell you or organise anything.

“I don’t even know that when I finally get home - which is unlikely to be Friday when I was due to go - whether I will then have to go into quarantine in Britain too.”

Alan’s holiday started well enough, but the sandstorm marked a rapid downturn.

He said: “That was horrendous. It was blowing at 70 to 80mph, was taking out palm trees, wrecking cars and blowing out windows in this hotel. We couldn’t go anywhere because of that

for two days and it took another two to clear up. The bedroom was covered in sand and the air conditioning was unworkable.

“Then no sooner had that been sorted than it was announced that one of the guests had gone down with coronavirus and we would have to stay in our rooms.

“Boring is not the word for it. I pace up and down in the living room, sit out on the balcony, have a wash down and try to watch the television although there’s nothing but adverts.

“For 10 hours we didn’t get any food and when it finally did start coming through it was just baguettes and a few other bits plus bottles of water. I won’t starve.

“I’ve been looking down and seen people walking about outside with masks on. I’m going down to reception to see if they can let me do the same. I’m desperate for some exercise.

“Looking further out, there are emergency vehicles everywhere plus a medical tent.”

There are about 1,000 people in the hotel, with between 150 and 200 thought to be British.

As far as the infection is concerned, Alan said: “I don’t know anyone who is ill and I have been given a thermometer and my temperature - which I take three times a day - seems to be normal.

“I hadn’t really mingled with the other guests. But before we were quarantined, my dining room table seemed to be surrounded by parties from Italy - where they have a particularly bad infection problem - so it might have been one of them.

"Several of them were coughing and some were only 2ft away from me.

“That said, they’re long gone and I haven’t felt any ill effects so far.

“I’ve just got to keep playing it by ear."

Back home in Britain Mr Cunliffe’s nephew Jon Butler said: “My uncle is a strong, fit man and looks 20 years younger than his age. I think boredom is his main enemy.”