Oklahoma dispatcher dies from coronavirus complications
Oklahoma has seen 164K COVID-19 cases, more than 1.5K deaths
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A dispatcher with the Tulsa Police and Fire Departments died on Tuesday following complications from the novel coronavirus.
Joey Phillips, who started with the police department in 1997, was 52, according to a Facebook post by the Tulsa Police Department.
“It is with [a] heavy heart that the Tulsa Police Department shares the passing of one of our dispatchers,” the post reads. “Yesterday evening, November 17th, 2020, dispatcher Joey Phillips passed due to complications of COVID-19.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}According to the post, Phillips had a goal to one day work for Disney World and was months away from achieving it.
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“His coworkers will remember his love of all things Prince, Elvira, Halloween & game nights,” the post said. “He was so much fun to work with and at times laughed so hard he would begin snorting.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The department did not reveal how Phillips contracted the novel coronavirus, or for how long he had been fighting the illness. It also did not say if he had any underlying health conditions that may have made him more at-risk for severe illness.
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As of Thursday, Oklahoma had seen 164,340 COVID-19 cases, and more than 1,580 deaths. Nearly 3,000 of those cases were reported on Thursday, along with 18 deaths.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Phillips is survived by his son, Bryce.