Shawn Mendes donates USD 175,000 for coronavirus relief

Singer Shawn Mendes has donated USD 175,000 to a pediatric hospital in Canada to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

The Grammy-nominated singer made the contribution to the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in his hometown, Toronto alongside The Shawn Mendes Foundation so that the facility can gather emergency medical resources during the outbreak while continuing its regular services.

Mendes on Instagram also said that next month he will transfer all funds his charity to aide both SickKids and the World Health Organization's (WHO) coronavirus relief efforts.

"The @shawnfoundation & I have been working to find ways to best support COVID-19 relief efforts, and to direct our resources to where we can make a difference. We've made a donation to @sickkidssvs hospital this week to help support the urgent screening and prevention of COVID-19 in my hometown of Toronto. 

"For the next month, all donations to The Shawn Mendes Foundation will go towards SickKids Hospital & relief efforts around the world by the @WHO," he wrote on Tuesday.

In a statement obtained by Entertainment Tonight Canada, Ted Garrard, CEO of the SickKids Foundation, said they were grateful to Mendes for his continued support of their hospital. 

"This generous and timely donation will assist our hospital with increased efforts in prevention and screening of COVID-19," Garrard said.

Canada has almost 2,800 cases of the COVID-19 illness and 27 deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.