Coronavirus: Kiwi dies of Covid-19 in Peru

A 49-year-old New Zealand man has died from coronavirus in Peru. 

Edward Spencer Storey was the son of Te Awamutu couple Keith and Delysse Storey, his obituary in the Waikato Times says. 

He was meant to be on the New Zealand Government's mercy flight home from Peru last week, his mother Delysse Storey told the NZ Herald.

But he never made it home - instead he died alone in an apartment in Cusco. He tested positive for Covid-19 after his death.

He had been trekking the popular Inca Trail to Machu Picchu when the Peruvian government announced a nationwide lockdown in mid-March. His trek was shut down halfway through, and he'd had to bribe police to get back to Cusco, Delysse Storey told the NZ Herald. 

He and other Kiwis were holed up in the small tourist town waiting for a mercy flight to get home.

Edward had last texted the family on April 7, the day after the New Zealand Government announced it was chartering a flight to bring back stranded Kiwis. A domestic connection from Cusco was put on to take New Zealanders to Lima, from where they would fly home.

Hotels had shut down but Edward managed to find a Cusco apartment online and was staying there until the flight.

But although he had registered, he never boarded the plane. The family contacted Internal Affairs, then airport police, who said he was listed as cancelled. They filed a missing persons report and Interpol got involved.

Police found Edward dead in his flat in the historical quarter on the 17th. He was tested for Covid-19 and found to be positive.

Described as the "favourite uncle" of Richard, and Elsie, and the twins Maddie and Vivi, he also leaves behind siblings Fraser, Scott and Kate and in-laws Wendy, Robynne and Blair.

When asked about the situation at Tuesday's daily coronavirus briefing, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said the family was being "actively supported" by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

According to the Johns Hopkins University data there have been 16,325 cases in Peru so far and 445 deaths.

A country-wide lockdown in Peru was announced on March 15, closing borders and restricting domestic travel, which meant few flights available out of the country. 

New Zealand's government organised a mercy flight for the 83 Kiwis who were known to be trapped there, but only around 60 people boarded the flight, which arrived home on April 15.

Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters said the decision to charter a flight to bring those in Peru home had been made due to many being unable to "safely shelter" in Peru.

Worldwide there are 2,470,410 cases with 169,986 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University data. 

New Zealand sits at 12 deaths - all elderly with underlying health conditions. 

Storey's death at 49 is unusual, with data from initial studies done in China showing the chances of someone in that age range dying are just 0.4 per cent. 

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