https://nypost.com/2020/04/08/louisi...us-days-apart/

An 86-year-old Louisiana mom and her three sons all contracted COVID-19 ? and died just days apart, their grieving family said.

Antoinette Franklin, a lifelong New Orleans resident who loved her city and going to church, died March 23, local outlet WDSU reported.

Sons Herman Franklin Jr., 71, Anthony Franklin Sr., 58, and Timothy Franklin, 61, passed away between March 20 and March 30, according to their obituaries.

They each tested positive for the virus, Jason Melancon, a spokesman for the New Orleans Coroner?s Office, told NBC News.

It?s unclear how they contracted the virus, as the state Health Department declined to comment on individual cases.

Herman Franklin, 71, a father of eight who had just moved back to New Orleans to be closer to family, died on March 20, WDSU reported.

Anthony Franklin Sr., 58, passed away March 26. He loved music and family, according to the report.

And Timothy Franklin, 61, an avid baseball fan, died on March 30.

All four got sick around the same time, relatives told the local station.

?My uncle passed, my grandmother passed, my dad passed, then my other uncle passed,? Anthony Franklin told the outlet. ?It?s literally like seven to eight days apart. It?s horrific.?

Services were held for the three brothers Friday at St. James Methodist Church in New Orleans, but only a limited number of people were allowed in because of social distancing guidelines, according to the report.

A service for Antoinette was held Saturday.

?I want the world to know if it happened to the Franklin family, it could happen to any family,? Jacqueline Franklin, who had two children with Anthony Franklin Sr., told the local station. ?Let?s take this serious. My children have to bury their father, their precious grandmother and their uncles.?

Louisiana has been a hot spot for the virus, with 16,284 cases and 582 deaths reported there by Tuesday, according to NBC.

Experts have said that Mardi Gras celebrations that attracted millions to New Orleans may be partly to blame for the large number of cases.



(From left) Herman Franklin, Anthony Franklin Sr. and Timothy William Franklin