(WXYZ) — A Detroit journalist said she suffered the loss of her mother, grandmother and aunt due to the coronavirus. Biba Adams worked at the Metro Times but was laid off off from the news outlet as the pandemic struck.
"They just loved having a good time together, they loved shopping and getting a good deal and they just love each other," Adams said of the three women in her family.
Adams' mother, Elaine Head, 70, was a retired school counselor and praise leader at New Testament of God in Christ in Detroit.
Her grandmother, Minnie Head, 89, was also a faithful member of New Testament of God in Christ,. The family was planning a big birthday celebration in December.
"She was a relatively healthy woman without this disease and she could have lived another 10 years," Adams said.
Adams' mother and grandmother were admitted to the hospital on March 26, suffering from COVID-19 symptoms. That same day, Adams said she received the tragic news her aunt had died of the virus. She was 72 and also lived in Detroit.
Adams says she blames the deaths on the inept initial response of the federal government to the pandemic.
"My mother, my aunt, my grandmother – these are three black ladies from the west side of Detroit," Adams said. "They had not touched anybody from China. I do believe for the entire month of February the U.S. did not take action."
Her twitter post about the loss of her beloved family members has been shared over 50,000 times.
Adams has received condolences from celebrities and strangers across the country and around the world.
Additional Coronavirus information and resources:
Read our daily Coronavirus Live Blog for the latest updates and news on coronavirus.
Click here for a page with resources including a COVID-19 overview from the CDC, details on cases in Michigan, a timeline of Governor Gretchen Whitmer's orders since the outbreak, coronavirus' impact on Southeast Michigan, and links to more information from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC and the WHO.
View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.
Find out how you can help metro Detroit restaurants struggling during the pandemic.
See all of our Helping Each Other stories.
See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.