A second Houston firefighter has died of coronavirus

Another Houston firefighter has died due to complications from Covid-19.

The Houston Fire Department announced on Monday that Gerado “Jerry” Pacheco, a firefighter paramedic, passed away after battling the virus. He was 50.

“The Houston Fire Department is saddened to report Firefighter Paramedic Gerado ‘Jerry’ Pacheco, 50, died this morning, August 3, 2020, after battling Coronavirus / COVID-19,” the department said in a statement.

Pacheco’s son Justin is also a firefighter with the department, according to the statement.

Pacheco joined the department in January 2004 and most recently had been assigned to the Kingwood area in northeast Houston, according to the department.

He is the second Houston firefighter to lose his life to Covid-19, following the death of Captain Leroy Lucio on July 20.

A group of firefighters lined up to form a “wall of honor” as Pacheco’s body was wheeled into an ambulance and taken to the medical examiner’s office, video posted by the Houston Fire Department showed.

Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association, the union that represents the city’s firefighters, also mourned the loss of their friend.

“His tragic death is another reminder to be vigilant in our efforts to keep our families, friends and station crews safe in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic,” President Patrick M. “Marty” Lancton said in a statement on Facebook.

Texas has become one of the major coronavirus hotspots in the US, with more than 448,000 confirmed cases and more than 6,800 deaths as of Monday. Houston alone has seen more than 50,000 cases and more than 400 deaths.

Mayor Sylvester Turner announced on Monday that the city would issue fines and citations to people not wearing masks.