Krista Vernoff | Entertainment News, Photos, and Videos

Grey’s Anatomy has suspended production for at least two weeks.

The hit ABC series has shut down filming due to the coronavirus outbreak, Deadline reports.

The news comes as Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has also called for a limit on public gatherings to 50 people or less.

The cast and crew just wrapped production on Episode 21 of the show’s 25-episode 16th season.

Executive producer/showrunner Krista Vernoff and executive producers Debbie Allen and James D. Parriott wrote the following to the cast and crew:

“To Our Incredible Cast and Crew:

Out of an abundance of caution, production is postponed on Grey’s Anatomy effective immediately. 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. Please take care of yourselves and each other. As updates come in, we will keep you informed.

Thank you for all that you do!”

Get the latest coronavirus updates here.

Krista Vernoff, the showrunner and executive producer of Grey’s Anatomy, is speaking out after the show said goodbye to Justin Chambers‘ beloved character Alex Karev.

While we’ve known for months that Justin has left the show, it wasn’t until the March 5 episode that Alex’s exit was finally addressed.

Alex left Seattle in Justin‘s final on-air appearance back in November and in the latest episode, he wrote letters to some characters, including his wife Jo, saying that he has reunited with his ex-wife Izzie (Katherine Heigl) and found out that she secretly gave birth to his twins a decade ago.

“It is nearly impossible to say goodbye to Alex Karev,” Krista said in a statement. “That is as true for me and for all of the writers at Grey’s Anatomy as it is for the fans. We have loved writing Alex. And we have loved watching Justin Chambers’ nuanced portrayal of him. For 16 seasons, 16 years, we have grown up alongside Alex Karev. We have been frustrated by his limitations and we have been inspired by his growth and we have come to love him deeply and to think of him as one of our very best friends. We will miss him terribly. And we will always be grateful for his impact, on our show, on our hearts, on our fans, on the world.”

Fans are mixed on what the Grey’s writers did to end Alex’s storyline and Krista did not address this in her statement.

Ellen Pompeo, the longtime star of the series, has spoken out with her thoughts on the character’s farewell.