Texas Republican first in US Congress to die from COVID-19

US Representative Ron Wright has died after testing positive for COVID-19 last month, his office has announced.

The lawmaker’s death on Sunday evening made him the first member of the Congress to die from the virus that has killed least 464,000 people in the US.

"Congressman Ron Wright passed away peacefully at the age of 67 on Feb. 7, 2021," Wright's campaign said in a statement on Monday.

"His wife Susan was by his side and he is now in the presence of their Lord and Savior."

The 67-year-old had previously been diagnosed with lung cancer in 2019.

Wright was elected to Congress in 2018 and was a member of the House Foreign Affairs and Education and Labor Committees.

On January 21, Wright announced his diagnosis saying he had “mild symptoms.” He was treated at Baylor Hospital.

“I am experiencing minor symptoms, but overall, I feel okay and will continue working for the people of #TX6 from home this week,” Wright said at the time.

“Over the past few years, Congressman Wright had kept a rigorous work schedule on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives and at home in Texas’ Congressional District 6 while being treated for cancer. For the previous two weeks, Ron and Susan had been admitted to Baylor Hospital in Dallas after contracting COVID-19,” his office said in a statement.

A large number of lawmakers from the US Senate and House of Representatives have contracted COVID-19 or been exposed to the coronavirus over the past year.

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