‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Shuts Down Production, Postpones Remainder of Season 16 Amid Coronavirus Fears

The medical drama Grey’s Anatomy has shut down production, postponing the remainder of work on the remainder of Season 16, which will go into effect immediately. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the medical drama made the call on Thursday night, which will shut things down for at least two weeks as a precautionary measure. At this point, it’s not clear if this delay will affect the rest of the show’s broadcast schedule.

The growing concerns over the coronavirus are cited as the reason for the decision.

Showrunner Krista Vernoff along with executive producers Debbie Allen and James Williams made the announcement in a memo to the show’s cast and crew. The series just wrapped production on its 21st episode, leaving four more remaining to be filmed.

“Out of an abundance of caution, production is postponed on Grey’s Anatomy effective immediately,” read the memo to the show’s cast and crew. “We are going home now for at least two weeks and waiting to see how the coronavirus situation evolves. This decision was made to ensure the health and safety of the whole cast and crew and the safety of our loved ones outside of work, and it was made in accordance with Mayor Garcetti’s suggestion that we not gather in groups of more than 50.”

“Stay safe, stay healthy, stay hydrated, stay home as much as possible, and wash your hands frequently,” the statement continued. “Please take care of yourselves and each other. As updates come in, we will keep you informed.”

As the outlet notes, the announcement comes among a number of delayed productions across the TV landscape, all of which are citing coronavirus as the reason for their respective decisions. Apple TV+ has halted the production of The Morning Show, while Amazon has paused the Orlando Bloom vehicle, Carnival Row, which was filming in Budapest. Daytime talk show The Wendy Williams Show has also postponed production until further notice.

In the world of late-night TV wasn’t immune from the impact, either. The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers have temporarily turned off the lights on their shows. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is also halting production early after filming a handful of episodes without a live studio audience. New episodes are still slated to resume on March 30. So fans will have to resort to Colbert’s tweets to tide them over in the meantime.