Coronavirus Outbreak Will Likely Pause Baby Yoda Toy Production, Hasbro Says

Sorry Star Wars fans, it looks like the arrival of the highly anticipated Baby Yoda toys will now be set for a date far, far away.

While merchandise featuring the adorable breakout star of The Mandalorian was expected to hit stores by May 2020, Hasbro announced Thursday that the worldwide coronavirus outbreak will likely cause production delays.

“The occurrence of these types of events can result, and in the case of the coronavirus has resulted in, disruptions and damage to our business, caused by both the negative impact to our ability to design, develop, manufacture and ship product (the supply side impact) and the negative impact on consumer purchasing behavior (the demand side impact),” the toy giant explained in an SEC filing.

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The company also shared that as travel bans and quarantine mandates have already caused limitations on creating the toys, the coronavirus “could have a significant negative impact on our revenues, profitability and business.”

Baby Yoda, formally known as “The Child,” has been a hit ever since the Mandalorian series debuted last November, however, fans have had to wait months for the chance to bring the lovable character home.

RELATED: ‘Baby Yoda’ Toys Officially Available for Pre-Order — But Won’t Make It in Time for the Holidays

While a new release date for the toys has yet to be announced, Hasbro CFO Deborah Thomas shared that the company is, “working to mitigate the impact of our manufacturing partner factories being closed longer than anticipated, as well as to reschedule the shipments we have not been able to make,” the New York Post reported.

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Baby Yoda isn’t the only product on backorder due to the coronavirus.

The one item that is constantly selling out is face masks. Online and brick-and-mortar retailers like Amazon and Home Depot are out of masks, and health care professionals who need the masks are having trouble purchasing them.

The shortage led U.S. Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams to urge Americans to “STOP BUYING MASKS.”

“Seriously people- STOP BUYING MASKS! They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus, but if healthcare providers can’t get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk!” he posted on Twitter.

RELATED: You’ll Soon Be Able to Bring Home Your Own Baby Yoda at Build-a-Bear Workshop

“The best way to protect yourself and your community is with everyday preventive actions, like staying home when you are sick and washing hands with soap and water, to help slow the spread of respiratory illness,” he added. “Get your #FluShot– fewer flu patients = more resources for #COVID19.”

Amazon said they have since removed tens of thousands of deals from sellers who had raised prices on the masks they still had in stock and were not adhering to the site’s “fair pricing” guidelines.

“We have absolutely enforced the policy,” an Amazon spokesperson told CBS. “We identify them and quickly take action.”

As of Friday, 159 cases of coronavirus and 11 deaths from coronavirus-related illnesses in the United States were confirmed. Worldwide, there are over 96,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus with most occurring in China, though new cases there have slowed.