Passenger, 68, dies from coronavirus after contracting the illness on board a Royal Caribbean cruise ship that docked in Sydney last week – taking Australia’s death toll to nine
- Garry Kirstenfield, 68, has died from coronavirus in Toowoomba in Queensland
- He is the ninth person to die from the killer virus in Australia
- Mr Kirstenfield was on board the Voyager of the Seas that docked in Sydney
- Queensland Health said the man had a ‘serious underlying medical condition’
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A 68-year-old cruise ship passenger has died from coronavirus, taking Australia’s death toll to nine.
Garry Kirstenfield was on board a Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas that docked in Sydney last week.
He died in Toowoomba Hospital in Queensland, where he was being treated in intensive care, on Wednesday afternoon.
Queensland Health confirmed the man’s death Wednesday evening and said he had ‘serious underlying medical condition before contracting the virus.’
Garry Kirstenfield was on board a Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas (pictured) that docked in Sydney March 18
‘Queensland Health offers its sincere condolences to his family,’ the department said in a statement.
‘The man’s family remains in isolation as close contacts.’
The family issued a statement saying Mr Kirstenfield was ‘kind and adorable’.
It is the second coronavirus-related death in Queensland after a 77-year-old woman from Noosaville died last week after flying in from Sydney.
Seven people have died in NSW, the country’s worst-hit state, and one in Western Australia.
Mr Kirstenfield’s death comes one day after an elderly woman who contracted coronavirus on board the Ruby Princess died in hospital.
The woman in her 70s, who was one of the first passengers to test positive for the illness, was taken from the cruise ship to hospital after the ship docked in Sydney on March 19.
She died in Royal Prince Alfred Hospital on Tuesday morning, making her the eighth person to die from the virus in Australia.
Ruby Princess was one of four ships controversially allowed to unload thousands of passengers at Sydney Harbour despite the government having announced a 30-day ban on cruise arrivals just the day before.
There are also 13 cases in NSW linked to the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship which docked in Sydney last Wednesday, and another seven cases who were on board the Voyager of the Seas which disembarked on the same day.
Both ships are owned by Royal Caribbean.
Ruby Princess was one of four ships controversially allowed to unload thousands of passengers at Sydney Harbour despite the government having announced a 30-day ban on cruise arrivals just the day before