OKC firefighter dies of COVID-19
OKLAHOMA CITY – An Oklahoma City firefighter, whose nephew became the first department employee to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, died of the virus after being infected while responding to a call, the fire chief said.
Fire Chief Richard Kelley, fighting back tears, said Monday that Maj. Andy Davis died Christmas Eve, declining to elaborate on details of when or how Davis was infected.
Deputy Chief Mike Walker said Davis’ nephew, firefighter A.J. Davis, was the first fire department employee to receive the vaccine on Saturday.
“We just thought it was the fitting thing to do in light of the passing of Andy,” Walker said. “So, we reached out to him and he was willing to step up and be the first one.”
Oklahoma reports 3,448 new COVID-19 cases, 13 additional deaths koco.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from koco.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
“We just thought it was the fitting thing to do in light of the passing of Andy,” Walker said. “So, we reached out to him and he was willing to step up and be the first one.”
A second fire department employee, Robert Saudia, 45, died Monday after suffering from COVID-19, but the cause of death has not been determined, department spokesperson Louis Marschik said Tuesday.
The Oklahoma State Department of Health on Tuesday reported 1,194 additional coronavirus cases and 22 more deaths, which total 283,781 cases and 2,405 deaths due to COVID-19 since the pandemic began in March.
The health department reported a record 2,000 people hospitalized with the virus, leaving 5% of adult ICU beds available.
Health Dept reports 13th death due to COVID-19 in Stillwater stwnewspress.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from stwnewspress.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.