As more people around him test positive for coronavirus, Anthony Dalla Bona, a Canadian held under a military quarantine in a Peruvian hostel, has been told by Ottawa that help is coming.

But it’s little comfort for the Windsor, Ont. man, because he and other Canadians must first be tested to prove they’re virus-free, and that test won't happen till April 8, when the Peruvian government lifts the national quarantine.

Should his test comes back positive, Dalla Bona will have to stay in the hostel for two more weeks before he is allowed to be repatriated.

“This is unacceptable. By staying here longer, we are more conducive to catching the virus that is preventing us from returning home,” said the 27-year-old travel and art space consultant, who has a bedroom with three others and is sharing a common bathroom at the hostel.

“If I had a choice, I would like to be tested now. I don't want to wait another eight days to be around infected people.”

According to Dalla Bona, over the weekend, seven more confirmed cases were reported at the Pariwana Hostel in Cusco, a 90-minute flight from Lima, adding to the two cases revealed last Wednesday.

The news was broken to the 140 guests — including nine Canadians — Saturday, and the Peruvian military came to the hostel Sunday night. Sixty people were ordered to pack up and sprayed with chlorine before they were moved to the nearby Jose Antonio Hotel, where they were placed in solitary rooms.

Then on Monday, said Dalla Bona, one of four Canadians left in the hostel, received a text from Global Affairs Canada on WhatsApp that officials from both countries have cut a deal.

“Officials from Switzerland and Germany are dropping off care packages to their people in the hostel. The Indians are delivering lunches,” said Dalla Bona, who arrived Peru on March 15 before COVID-19 cases sprung up in Latin America. He was scheduled to stay for a week to explore the country as a travel destination for clients.

“Everyone wants to come home, but our situation is more dire ... we face a real risk to the virus. It is scary.”

Last week, Ottawa facilitated three Air Canada flights to bring some of the 3,000 Canadians stranded in Peru back home.

“Canada's mission in Peru continues to co-ordinate the complex movement of Canadians from outside Lima and Cusco, in advance of flights returning to Canada this week," Global Affairs Canada said in a news release.