Corona Beer to Suspend Production Due to COVID-19 Restrictions The Mexican government has deemed beer production non-essential April 3, 2020 11:46 am Grupo Modelo, the Mexican brewer responsible for Corona beer as well as other brands like Pacifico and Modelo, is reportedly suspending production after the Mexican government deemed beer production “non-essential” during its coronavirus-related shutdown. Corona — which, again, to be crystal clear, has absolutely nothing to do with coronavirus — is exported to over 180 countries. The company said in a statement that it is currently “in the process of lowering production at our plants to the bare minimum,” and the suspension will take effect on Sunday. They also made a plea to the Mexican government to reconsider deeming beer production “non-essential.” “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 reads. Grupo Modelo operates 11 breweries in Mexico. As of Thursday, there were 1,510 reported cases and 50 deaths due to COVID-19 in the country, and the government declared a “health emergency” that resulted in the suspension of all non-essential activities. (Beer production has been deemed essential here in the States, along with agriculture and food production.) lmfao