Loved family man taken

Toowoomba lost its first to COVID-19

GARRY Kirstenfeldt has become the first Toowoomba resident to die from a COVID-19 infection.

The 68-year-old passed away on Wednesday.

In an online tribute, loved ones referred to Mr Kirstenfeldt as a “beautiful man”.

Another woman, Jan Squire, said Mr Kirstenfeldt was “a wonderful family man” with a “huge heart”.

Mr Kirstenfeldt contracted

COVID-19 while aboard the Royal Caribbean cruise liner.

Mr Kirstenfeldt is understood to have had a severe respiratory condition, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, putting him at increased risk after contracting the virus.

Queensland Health said members of his immediate family were in isolation as close contacts.

“The 68-year-old man had a serious underlying medical condition before contracting the virus,” a spokesman said.

“Queensland Health offers its sincere condolences to his family.”

Mr Kirstenfeldt is the second Queenslander to die from the illness.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk offered her condolences to his grieving family.

“Unfortunately we’re going to see more of this in the days and weeks ahead, and we are trying to minimise it,” she said.

Numbers of Queenslanders infected with COVID-19 grew to 493 yesterday, with 96 new cases recorded.

Cases have more than doubled in four days.

Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles said thousands of people across the state had been tested for the virus.

“As of yesterday we’ve tested 40,946 people, and it is that testing, that world-best level of testing that is allowing us to contain this virus,” he said.

At the time of print Queensland had no patients in intensive care.