Grey’s Anatomy will soon resume production on its upcoming 17th season, Variety has confirmed. The long-running medical drama series is set to return to production by the end of the month.

The series halted its production in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. Due to the shutdown, season 16 was ended four episodes earlier than intended. However, the shutdown and its surrounding circumstances have placed Grey’s Anatomy in an interesting position. As a medical drama series, it is uniquely equipped to tackle the pandemic in all its complexities. Series executive producer Krista Vernoff (Shameless) addressed this in a quote obtained by Variety: “There’s no way to be a long-running medical show and not do the medical story of our lifetimes. I feel like our show has an opportunity and a responsibility to tell some of those stories.”

Rumblings about the show’s potential return began last month. Lead actress Ellen Pompeo (Friends) announced on her Twitter account that the producers intended to start in September. Now, the series has officially committed to resume production this month. An exact date has not been announced, but Variety reported that production could restart “as early as next week.”

The plan is to start in a few weeks but don’t have an exact start date but @msdebbieallen is prepping! https://t.co/hyDmyD88kP

— Ellen Pompeo (@EllenPompeo) August 5, 2020

Grey’s Anatomy follows Pompeo as chief of general surgery Meredith Grey, working with a large team of medical professionals on a wide range of medical emergencies. The expansive cast has featured a number of actors over the years, including Sandra Oh (Killing Eve), Katherine Heigl (Unforgettable), Justin Chambers (Another World), and Kevin McKidd (Trainspotting). As a part of production, the crew Grey’s Anatomy interviews real-world medical professionals and incorporates their experiences into upcoming seasons. Vernoff confirmed that these interviews have been on-going in spite of the shutdown, and will make this 17th season unlike any other.

Seasons 1 through 15 of Grey’s Anatomy are streaming on Netflix, while the 16th season is available to stream on Hulu.