Statement from Manchester Mayor Lonnie Norman

As Mayor, I want to assure you that we are monitoring the Coronavirus (COVID-19) as it remains everchanging on a daily and hourly basis, and the safety, security, and health of our citizens is my top priority. We have been working closely with other community leaders and state officials to monitor this situation. Over the past week, we have been involved in regular conference calls with these individuals as well as local first responders, hospitals, department of health, and the governor’s office to ensure we are as prepared as we possibly can be.
In an effort to protect all members of our community and workforce, I’m urging all residents of Coffee County to take precautions against the spread of the COVID-19 virus. These voluntary precautions include postponing large public and private gatherings and limiting person to person contact as much as possible. We must all take action to help stop the spread of the virus. We must pull together and help each other by checking on neighbors, extended family, and the elderly that are isolated at home. I urge you to keep supporting our local businesses, they are the backbone of our community. Let’s lookout for one another and remember that we are all in this together.
Earlier in the week, we took action by limiting all person to person contact for the City of Manchester offices until further notice. This includes Codes Department, Finance Department, I.S. Department, and Mayor’s Office, with the exception of the Water Collection and Police Department Lobbies that will remain open. Offices within city hall can be contacted by phone and online to schedule appointments. Essential City services will remain fully operational during this suspension. These departments include Water, Sanitation, and Public Works. The Recreation Complex will be closed, and we will reassess these suspensions weekly. The City of Manchester Police and Fire departments will continue to operate as usual. I have asked our water department to suspend all cut-offs until 4-15-20 to ensure citizens receive water services. We have been in close contact with the Manchester Coffee County Senior Citizens organization to monitor the Meals on Wheels program, while some of their services have been impacted (723-8288). The City of Manchester School System has implemented a plan to provide food for children in our community (728-2316).
We encourage residents to utilize available online services at www.cityofmanchestertn.com to access information, pay bills, or engage in city business when possible. We also encourage everyone to monitor the Tennessee Department of Public Health website tn.gov/health, and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) www.cdc.gov to receive factual information and instructions on this developing situation. For the most up to date information, I urge you to utilize the State of Tennessee site at tn.gov.
Just as we all share in this crisis, we all share the drive to get back to our normal lives as soon as possible. In the meantime, please be safe and take care of yourself and those you love.