A Hawaiian Airlines flight attendant who tested positive for the coronavirus after attending a training event in late June passed away Tuesday, the company told NBC News.
Jeff Kurtzman, 60, was one of 16 others who attended the training course, resulting in mandatory staff quarantine, deep cleaning of facilities, and cancellation of training.
Kurtzman returned to Los Angeles after his diagnosis and passed away on July 21 after being admitted to a hospital with severe symptoms of COVID-19, Hawaiian Airlines CEO Peter Ingram said in an email from staff obtained by NBC.
“In the last three decades [Kurtzman] he had become known to his colleagues in flight for his passion for discovering new places, people and cultures; his fantastic sense of humor and ability to converse easily; and his loving heart. He embodied the aloha and malama values that we cherish, “Ingram wrote in the email.
According to Connie Florez, a friend of Kurtzman’s, the stewardess informed her that some people at the training course in June “got a little loose the second day,” but I kept my mask on. I do not wanna get sick “”
Hawaiian Airlines said the training resumed last week with stricter measures, which required covering the face throughout the course and adequate social distancing.
According to the Hawaii Department of Health, attendees of the training session were exposed to the virus because no social distancing was observed and the masks were optional at the time.
According to data from Johns Hopkins University, Hawaii has experienced some of the lowest COVID-19 infection rates, with the highest number recorded in Honolulu at 1,225 cases.
Hawaii also imposed some of the strictest measures to curb the spread of the virus, requiring visitors beginning August 1 to show evidence of a negative COVID-19 test to avoid a mandatory 14-day quarantine upon arrival.
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