Coronavirus: Taylor Swift gives money, covers healthcare costs for staff of affected record store

Taylor Swift has offered "direct relief" for an independent record store in her hometown of Nashville, Tennessee.

The 30-year-old singer has reached out to offer financial aid to Grimey's New & Preloved Music, after the store was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, which is forcing many businesses to close its doors while struggling to keep paying staff.

The record store was also involved in the tornadoes that struck Nashville and middle Tennessee earlier this year, for which Taylor also made donations.

Grimey's co-owner Doyle Davis has confirmed she has gifted the store with enough money for each of its employees, as well as providing three months' worth of healthcare so they can be seen by a medical professional during the pandemic if they need to.

Doyle told Rolling Stone magazine: "We were very surprised, and I would have to say amazed, that Taylor Swift reached out to us through her publicist to offer some relief during the Covid-19 pandemic.

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"I didn't even know we were on her radar, but she really stepped up to help after the recent tornadoes that struck Nashville and middle Tennessee, and now she's trying to help a beloved small business in her city.

"Taylor generously offered some direct relief to my staff and to cover three months of our health care costs for our group-insurance plan. It's a huge deal to us, and now I have some peace of mind as we apply for [Small Business Association] loans to pay rent, vendors, and other expenses. This assistance from her helps give us a real shot at coming back on the other side of this."

Buyer Will Orman added: "It's incredibly heartening and totally surreal that Taylor Swift has offered to help us out in such a significant way. With so much uncertainty about what lies ahead, we're deeply grateful to be able to look forward to returning to the store and continuing to share music and connect with our community, thanks to Taylor's generous support."

The news comes just days after Taylor was revealed to be sending money to her cash-strapped fans who have lost their jobs as a result of the coronavirus.

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