A prolonged time Alabama mayor has died of COVID-19 as scenarios of the virus have risen in the condition.

Billy Joe Driver, who was elected as mayor of Clanton in 1984, was admitted to the hospital on June 28, where he handed away on Thursday, stories Persons.com. He was 84.

“We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our beloved Mayor. He was hunting ahead to his retirement later on this year,” reported the Clanton Hearth Division in a assertion.

“At this year’s yearly section evening meal, Mayor Driver shared an emotional story about his time with the hearth section right up until present and challenged the approaching generations to carry on the progress. His enjoy for our city runs deep and he will be considerably skipped by a lot of!”

Driver, who has a long political career in the city, joined the Clanton Metropolis Council in 1972 and served until finally elected as mayor.

“He invested the best several years of his lifetime dedicated to the city that he liked,” says Driver’s daughter, Kim Driver Hayes.

Gov. Kay Ivey supplied her condolences to Driver’s family members, expressing that the metropolis has “lost a valued community servant.”

Alabama has described 15,000 new situations of the coronavirus in the past two months, with 287 in Chilton County, where by Clanton is found, as of Thursday, in accordance to Alabama Community Overall health.