English teacher stuck in Colombia trying to get back to Colorado Springs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- A man from Colorado Springs who now teaches English in Bogota, Colombia says he can't get home to take care of his loved ones who are suffering from COVID-19.

Malcolm Jordan said he's seeking a humanitarian evacuation flight but hasn't been able to secure a seat on a plane coming back to the US.

Colombia closed its borders to the rest of the world on March 24, canceling all commercial flights.

Originally, Jordan was set to take off on Monday and land in Houston later that evening but was notified the flight had been canceled altogether.

"They're only taking people who have respiratory issues or underlying problems already," he told KRDO.

The U.S. Ambassador to Colombia, Phillip Goldberg, posted an update in a Facebook video. "Capacity on the flight is limited," he said. "So we will prioritize seats based on need, which is basically vulnerability in light of the COVID-19 emergency."

Jordan has most recently been booked on a flight that leaves Bogota on Thursday, but admits he's worried his seat will be given to someone else.

The U.S. government is advising citizens currently in another country to arrange for an immediate return to the States if they can.

"As the COVID-19 situation develops, our ability to provide such assistance working with commercial airlines or arranging for evacuation flights may become more limited or even unavailable," reads a health advisory from the U.S. Department of State.