Heineken says it will suspend production, distribution in Mexico due to coronavirus

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Dutch brewer Heineken said on Friday that it will suspend production and distribution from its seven plants in Mexico, in response to the government’s decision to halt non-essential economic activity to contain the new coronavirus.

Heineken Mexico, which employs 16,000 workers, followed Grupo Modelo , producer of the Corona, Modelo and Pacifico brands, which on Thursday announced similar measures.

The Dutch company said its distribution operations will conclude on Sunday, “in full alignment with the recommendations indicated by our authorities.”

With regards to production, the company will begin reducing its operations “to a minimum … with the sole purpose of avoiding irreversible effects that could make it impossible to reactivate our economic activity.”

So far, Mexico has registered 1,510 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 50 deaths related to the disease.

(Reporting by Raul Cortes Fernandez; writing by Julia Love; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)