The former Newcastle United midfielder Nolberto Solano apologised on Friday after being detained by Peruvian police for being outside his house during tight quarantine hours set up to stop the spread of coronavirus. Solano claimed he left his home on Thursday before the 8pm curfew began for a lunch that went on longer than planned. “I obviously regret this very much and I ask for forgiveness,” Solano told the radio station RPP Noticias. “I am not going to justify it. It’s very tough for everyone but the most important thing is our health, without that we can’t do anything.” The 45-year-old assistant coach of the Peru national team was taken to a Lima police station after a neighbour spotted him and complained but he was released shortly after authorities registered the incident, local media said. The Peruvian president, Martín Vizcarra, reported that police detained 2,568 people for breaking the quarantine limits on Wednesday, bringing the total to more than 18,000. Peru has reported 580 confirmed cases and nine deaths so far from Covid-19 among its 32 million population.