Sally Abel enjoys a glass of bubbly on the flight back to Heathrow

David and Sally Abel are home and safe in the UK.

The Northamptonshire couple spent more than seven weeks quarantined, first on a cruise ship and then in a Japanese hospital amid following the Covid-19 outbreak.

But they surprised thousands of followers worldwide by posting news of their arrival back at Heathrow this afternoon (Saturday March 14).

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David and Sally, from Woodford Halse near Daventry, were moved to the hospital after both tested positive for coronavirus just as their isolation period on board the Diamond Princess was up.

They were both treated for pneumonia during their stay but finally flew home after David. 73, gave a final negative test on Friday.

Their post at around 6pm said simply: "Arrival at Terminal 5 this afternoon. It’s good to be back!"

Among more than 1,000 Facebook posts in the space of two hours which greeted their return, one from Florida said:" I was having a bad day today but thanks to you happy tears are running down my face."

David Abel tries the captain's seat for size

The couple, who left for a Far East cruise on January 18, managed to keep news of their return under wraps.

A YouTube video first said they had been moved to a different room in the hospital and the second had sound but no picture to avoid giving the game away.

David posted a YouTube video from the car on his way home in which he said: "I am sorry we have been a little bit, not exactly untruthful but hiding what are we doing.

"Last 24 hours have been a bit of a put-up job because I didn't want folk to know we were landing in this afternoon.

The Abels are greeted by Good Morning Britain cameras at Heathrow

"You will see only one TV interview on Good Morning Britain on Monday because they were the only TV company we notified we were coming back today.

"Sorry I was not totally truthful with yesterday. I pout a piece of paper over the camera lens because I didn't want it to be obvious we were in a hotel

"Once I had that final negative test they got us out of the hospital pretty damn quick. We've 13-hour flight and it's so good to be on home land."