Festus fire chief dies after battling COVID-19, complications | Coronavirus

FESTUS — The fire main right here died Monday following becoming hospitalized for months with COVID-19 and its issues.

Mayor Sam Richards stated in a statement Chief Kevin Cremer, 48, was “a wonderful partner, father and mate.”

“He will be deeply skipped by all who knew him, specifically his city of Festus household and his brothers and sisters in the hearth service,” he explained.

Firefighters on Jan. 9 held a prayer vigil for Cremer outside the house Mercy Clinic in Jefferson County in which he experienced been admitted to the ICU.

Cremer was a 29-calendar year veteran of hearth company, functioning for 13 many years at the Hematite Hearth Safety District in Jefferson County before starting up at the Festus Fire Department in September 2005, in accordance to a town information release. He experienced been chief for 4 many years.

He is survived by his wife, Tonya Cremer kids, Ashley Nolen and Jacob Cremer and grandchildren, Cooper Nolen and Marcella Nolen.

Funeral arrangements are becoming handled by the Mahn Funeral Dwelling in Festus, in accordance to the town.

COVID circumstance and hospitalization prices are exhibiting early declines in areas of the St. Louis region. Deaths, even so, are still elevated regionally and statewide.

On Monday, St. Louis-location hospitals claimed 1,236 verified virus people, down from the report 1,444 clients described one 7 days previously, on Jan. 17, but nevertheless perfectly above last winter’s peak of 962.

Place hospitals documented 24 COVID deaths on Monday. The seven-day average was 19, in comparison with a peak last winter of 23.

The point out has claimed, on average, 13,448 new circumstances every working day around the past week, down from 15,130 in early January, and an normal of 61 day-to-day deaths, the optimum due to the fact February, in accordance to a Post-Dispatch examination.

Annika Merrilees of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.