U.S. congresswoman Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) has said that her sister recently passed away from the CCP Virus, according to reports.
On May 1, Waters’s sister, Velma Moody, an 86-year-old living at the Grand Manor Nursing Home, passed away due to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus. Nursing homes across the United States have been hit hard by the pandemic.
“The nursing home is the only place we have for many of our seniors, many of whom have outlived their families,” Waters told The Grio. “That’s where they go. And now these nursing homes are like a petri dish for the continued development of this virus that is killing us.”
According to the news outlet, Moody had been living in the assisted facility along with several other seniors. She stressed that assisted living centers like the one her sister was living in are dangerous and made the elderly more vulnerable.
In an interview with the news outlet, Waters described the loss of her sister as the most painful thing for her, but added she was relieved that her sister was out of pain.
“It is one of the most painful things that I’ve ever had to experience in my life. She had suffered. And so, we are going through a very difficult time. It was not easy, but in many ways, I’m so glad she’s out of pain,” Waters said.
Service will be held for Moody in her home town of St. Louis, Missouri.
The news came after Waters argued for the legislature in order to offer financial support for those—either individuals or businesses—affected by the pandemic. At the time, she revealed that her sister was infected by the virus and was gravely ill, and dedicated, to her sister, the legislature she was arguing for, according to the St. Louis American.
“I would like to take a moment to dedicate this legislature to my dear sister, who is dying in a hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, right now infected by the coronavirus,” Waters said.
Waters said that she lost many of her close friends and family to the CCP Virus, and with her losses, she wished to help more African-Americans help themselves.
“I want Black people to do everything that they can to take care of themselves,” told The Grio.
“I want them to be aware that they gotta have masks. They can’t go out. They can’t party. They can’t be in groups. I want them to isolate as much as they can. I want us to honor all of that. I want us to be patient with all that,” she said.
