Mexico’s Grupo Modelo, whose brands also include Pacifico and Modelo, said the suspension will take effect on Sunday.

It's been a rough couple of months for everyone, and the folks who make Corona Extra beer would be among the first to agree.

This was making headlines around March 1st:

38% of American beer drinkers surveyed this week said they wouldn't buy Corona "under any circumstances" at the moment. It's worth noting that, among regular Corona drinkers, only 4% said they would now refrain — that raises questions about whether the virus is, in fact, affecting consumer attitudes toward the brand.

Well, right now it really doesn't matter what the Corona Beer drinking public thinks, because Grupo Modelo, the parent company of Corona Beer is calling a halt to production for a very contemporary reason.

They've been deemed non-essential by Mexico's government.

Mexico's Grupo Modelo said on Thursday it will temporarily stop brewing Corona beer and other brands exported to 180 countries after its business activities were declared non-essential under a government order aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus.

The brewer said in a statement that the suspension will go into place from Sunday and that it was already in the process of scaling down production to a level at which it could resume once the suspension is lifted.

"If the federal government considers it appropriate to issue some clarification confirming beer as an agro-industrial product, at Grupo Modelo we are ready to execute a plan with more than 75% of our staff working from home and at the same time guaranteeing the supply of beer," the statement said.

 

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