'Grey's Anatomy' Star Ellen Pompeo Dedicates Season 17 to All the Lives Lost during Pandemic

"Grey's Anatomy" kicked off filming on Tuesday, September 8, and lead actress Ellen Pompeo shared a picture of her first day on set alongside a touching tribute to fallen frontline workers.

The filming of "Grey's Anatomy," which was in its 16th season, got shut down in mid-March, and the season was cut short by four episodes, leaving many storylines hanging in the balance.

With many states across the country easing their lockdown, "Grey's Anatomy" star Giacomo Gianniotti subtly suggested last month that production of the season 17 would resume sometime this month.

On Tuesday, September 8, production of the new season officially began in Los Angeles. The show's lead actress, Ellen Pompeo, seemed grateful to be back on set and shared a back-to-work snap on Instagram.

In the selfie, Pompeo could be seen with her co-star Richard Flood in the hallway of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. The duo maintained safety precautions as they wore face masks.

The 50-year-old actress shared the picture accompanied by a touching tribute in honor of frontline healthcare workers. She wrote:

"... I dedicate my season 17 to all who have fallen and to everyone of you who by the grace of God is still standing..."

Showrunner Krista Vernoff confirmed that the season 17 would feature many changes from the original plan, due to how the previous season ended abruptly.

One of these changes would see the upcoming season incorporate the novel coronavirus pandemic into its storyline. Gianniotti revealed that the new season would have a time jump and begin about a month and a half into the pandemic.

Over the last few months, over 7,000 health workers have died in the United States.

Hopefully, the changes would help provide some answers to the lingering questions from season 16, which ended prematurely, leaving viewers filling blanks regarding several storylines.

Gianniotti also provided an insight into what the set would be like for the cast and crew of the long-running series due to the pandemic. He said:

"...We're obviously going to be tested multiple times a week and sort of separated in zones."

In July, Vernoff described COVID-19 as the most critical medical story of this generation and revealed that the producers were all in agreement that it must be featured on the popular medical drama series.

Vernoff also revealed that the show's writers were already meeting with frontline healthcare staff and real-life doctors, who have shed some light on dealing with the pandemic.

According to Vernoff, some of these stories about the ordeals of patients and healthcare workers during the pandemic have been painful, but it presents the show with an opportunity to share some of these stories to the world.

Over the last few months, over 7,000 health workers have died in the United States while saving lives in these challenging times. There can be no greater tribute to their courage than telling their story to the world.