It was bad enough that the beer shared a name with the novel coronavirus sweeping across the globe. Now, Corona revealed through its brewer Grupo Modelo that the brand will cease production in Mexico in defense against COVID-19.
“Grupo Modelo announces that this Sunday [April 5] it will complete the process of suspending its production and marketing operations for beer,” says a press release posted on Twitter by Grupo Modelo.
The move is only temporary, with the brewery expected to pickup production once the virus slows. And in a recent call with investors, Corona’s U.S. distributor Constellation Brands says that it has sufficient stock to meet consumer demand in the short term.
The beer brand has recently faced negativity. Confusion over the brand’s similar name to the virus has caused a spike in Google searches for “corona beer virus.”
The Mexican government has mandated the closure of non-essential activities through April 30 as COVID-19 spreads across the country.
Owned by AB-InBev, Grupo Modelo also makes Pacifico and Modelo, among other popular Mexican brands.
