Tesla plans to resume “limited operations” at its Fremont, Calif. factory, according to an email reviewed by Bloomberg. However, Alameda County, where the factory is located, has said it plans to continue restricting businesses from opening through the end of May.
The report said an email to employees from human resources said the factory will start operations with 30 percent of normal headcount per shift. It’s not known what type of production can occur with the limited workforce.
Tesla has already quarreled with Alameda County about the order for businesses to close as part of the fight against the spread of COVID-19. Tesla kept the factory open despite the order, saying the automaker qualified for an exemption. After continued objection from officials, Tesla finally suspended production on March 24 with a plan to return on May 4. The company cut pay for some salaried employees furloughed workers.
The county extended the stay-at-home order in late April, which seemed to motivate tweets critical of the order from Chief Executive Elon Musk such as “Free America Now.”
Bloomberg reported that another email from Musk to employees on Friday “cited California Governor Gavin Newsom’s announcement earlier that he will let manufacturers in parts of the state resume operations starting Friday.”
Officials at Alameda County, alongside other local governments reiterated the order in a press release issued Thursday:
We will continue to study the indicators that tell us how the coronavirus is affecting our communities and amend the health orders as warranted in the best interest of community health. We share the urgency to reopen and restore our economies and our normal activities, and the equal importance of doing so in a way that is safe, responsible and does not cause a significant increase in serious illness and death, or overwhelm our healthcare delivery systems.
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