Submitted photo Former Marshall resident Dan West managed to pose for a few photos before he had to obey a government lockdown in Peru. He and his buddy, Jon Du, saw the historic plaza area and got a hike in, but that has been the extent of their vacation.

MARSHALL — Tuesday was Day 1 for Dan West, a 2014 Marshall High School graduate who is stuck in Cusco, Peru, because of a government lockdown.

He and his buddy from his University of Minnesota days, Jon Du, had plans to go zip lining, mountain biking and hiking to the ancient structures of Machu Picchu, but the COVID-19 coronavirus changed all that.

He and Du, who is from Austin, Texas, flew in to Peru on March 12.

“We booked the flight in the beginning of December,” said West, who is the son of Dave and Kim West of Marshall and now lives in St. Paul with his wife and fellow MHS grad, Jessica Oaxaca. When it got closer to the time to go, they thought, “Do we cancel? Nah, we’ll probably be OK. It’s only 10 days. What’s going to happen in 10 days?”

The two arrived in Cusco last Saturday and the next day, their tour guide came to their AirBnB and discussed with them plans for a four-day tour of the area. An hour after he left, their plans were canceled because the Peruvian government declared a state of emergency.

“The Peruvian governor declared they would be shutting down all borders,” West said. “Everyone has to be inside until March 31. That’s where we are at now.”

Instead of seeing the sights, West spent the next day trying to fly back home.

“There was a lot of confusion and chaos,” he said. They tried to catch a connecting flight to Lima, Peru, and waited in line from 2:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. at the airport before being told it wasn’t happening.

They then visited the U.S. consulate in Cusco to see if there was anything further to be done.

In the end, they were told they will be stuck in Cusco until April 1.

“The Peruvian government is having everyone remain indoors unless they are going to the pharmacy, bank or buying food from the market. All of the markets in Cusco are well-stocked. It’s not like the mass hoarding that’s happening in the U.S.,” West said.

The police and military are patrolling the streets to enforce the edict. “Nearly all businesses are shutting down, including transportation.”

It could be worse — they could be in Lima, Peru.

“In Lima the police are patrolling and giving tickets or fines to anyone walking outside,” he said. He has heard reports of looting in Lima.

For now, West and Du are stuck together in a 10-by-10 room. He said so far it’s OK, but it might get old by April 1.

He is spending his time connecting with fellow U.S. citizens who are quarantined in Peru.

“There are a few hundred citizens,” he said. They are communicating through WhatsApp, a messaging application.

The WhatsApp group are “reaching out to state representatives,” speaking to the national media, letting the public know about U.S. citizens stuck in foreign countries. West said they will appear on CBS News and might be on Fox Saturday.

“I’m quoted in an article with The Hill and the Minneapolis Star Tribune just interviewed us,” he said.

With a growing number of countries closing their borders because of the spreading coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, U.S. Senator Tina Smith, D-Minn., is pressing U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to quickly implement plans to get information and assistance to Minnesotans and other Americans trapped abroad so they can safely travel home, according to an Associated Press report.

In a letter to Pompeo Tuesday, Sen. Smith said her office has been in contact with numerous Minnesotans trapped in countries that have closed their borders — such as Peru and Morocco — leaving them with no access to commercial flights or other transportation. With other countries expected to follow suit and close borders, Smith said the number of U.S. citizens needing State Department assistance will only grow. On Wednesday, Sen. Smith said her office has also heard from Minnesotans in Chile, Latvia, Guatemala, Honduras, and Ecuador.

In her letter Smith said, “Countries such as England and France have been able to evacuate their citizens from countries that have already restricted travel on flag carriers. Is the State Department pursuing agreements for similar arrangements to evacuate U.S. citizens? If so, what are the obstacles to reaching those agreements? If not, why not?

“I understand that there are significant legal, personnel, and logistical challenges involved in extricating U.S. citizens during this time of global crisis. I strongly urge the State Department to take swift and decisive action to ensure all U.S. citizens that wish to return home to the U.S. are able do so immediately.”

West is glad he is able to communicate with the outside world.

“I’m lucky we have good Wi-Fi here,” West said, so he can FaceTime with his wife, who is the communications director for the Minnesota Senate DFL. He also is in touch with two colleagues at his video production businesses, Blue Key Media and Dan West Films, where he is president and CEO.

“We’re getting all kinds of postponements and cancellations, wedding shoots,” he said. “So that is stressful.”