After spending some six weeks quarantined in the United Arab Emirates, Fernando Gaviria is finally back on home soil after returning to his native Colombia on Wednesday.
The UAE Team Emirates rider contracted COVID-19 while racing the UAE Tour, which was halted prematurely on February 27 after reports of symptoms from people involved in the race.
The UAE team decided to self-quarantine as a precautionary measure and Gaviria confirmed he had tested positive for the coronavirus on March 12.
Gaviria remained in the UAE for the best part of a month, undergoing regular tests in hospital to ensure he was free from the virus. He received the all-clear on March 26 and was discharged, although he had to wait until Wednesday to be able to fly home.
He landed in Bogota at 11am local time on a specially chartered plane along with 56 other Colombians and a cargo of medical supplies. In accordance with the protocols currently in place in the country, he was immediately placed into quarantine in the capital, and will have to wait before he can return to his home in La Ceja.
No set quarantine period was indicated, with the Colombian Cycling Federation saying he'd be able to return to his family "when the circumstances allow".
"I want to thank all the health team that has taken care of me in the United Arab Emirates, for their excellent work and dedication, and all those who have supported me during this period of convalescence and recovery," Gaviria said when discharged two weeks ago.
"I hope and wish that this extraordinary situation will pass soon, so that I can return to normality."
