Three more Australian deaths overnight of COVID-19
A 68-year-old Queensland man has died from the new coronavirus as Australia’s COVID-19 death toll reached 11.
Garry Kirstenfeldt contracted the virus while on board a Royal Caribbean cruise ship that docked in Sydney last week.
He was being treated in an intensive care unit in Toowoomba Hospital but died on Wednesday afternoon.
According to Queensland Health, the Toowoomba man “had a serious underlying medical condition before contracting the virus”.
Kirstenfeldt’s immediate family is currently in self-isolation.
The news came after Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk reiterated the importance of social distancing, following reports that 24 partygoers and four staff who attended a Sunshine Coast party last week tested positive to the virus.
“I hope people can understand from events such as this, where people are congregating quite closely together and interacting, this is how coronavirus can spread,” she said.
“This is now not the time to be social. It is time to keep your distance.”
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said on Thursday morning the state saw its first coronavirus fatalities after two men in their 70s died overnight, taking the national total to 11.