Tennessee Mayor Lonnie Norman Dies Of COVID-19

Lonnie Norman, the 79-year-old mayor of Manchester, Tennessee, has sadly passed away from COVID-19. 

A statement on the mayor’s official Facebook page reads, “With a deep sense of sadness and loss, we announce the passing of Mayor Lonnie Norman after being hospitalized for COVID-19 on October 1, 2020. Mayor Norman passed away in the early hours of Monday, October 12, 2020, after a valiant fight against COVID-19.”

Norman became the first Black mayor of Manchester, which has a population of 10,000, in 1991, according to WPLN.

RELATED: 2Chainz, 6lack And Others To Participate In ‘Feed Your City Challenge’ In Atlanta

According to NBC News, Norman’s family said in a statement, “It is said that when your work speaks for itself — let it. Mayor Lonnie Norman’s eight decades on this planet were filled with work that testifies to both his accomplishments and his values.”

They continued, “COVID-19 is real and it took our beloved Lonnie Norman from us. To his fellow public officials, we say please remember your duty to keep the public safe.”

The family also added, “To our fellow citizens, we say please wear a mask, practice physical distancing, and protect public health and each other. We are all in this together.”

There have been over 214,000 coronavirus deaths in the country and 2,700 in the state of Tennessee.

For the latest on the coronavirus, check out BET’s blog on the virus, and contact your local health department or visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.