Tesla CEO Musk restarts California factory amid lockdown
FREMONT, Calif. (AP) — Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed on Twitter Monday that the company has restarted its California factory in violation of local government orders.
In the afternoon tweet, Musk wrote that he would be on the assembly line and asked that he be arrested if authorities take anyone into custody.
State law allows a fine of up to $1,000 a day or up to 90 days in jail for operating in violation of health orders.
The plant in Fremont, which is south of San Francisco, had been closed since March 23 under orders to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Early Monday, the parking lot was nearly full at the massive plant, which employs 10,000 workers, and semis were driving off loaded with vehicles that may have been produced before the shutdown.
The restart violates orders from the Alameda County Health Department, which has deemed the factory a nonessential business that can’t open under restrictions intended to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Alameda County Sheriff Sgt. Ray Kelly said Monday that any enforcement of the order would come from Fremont police. Geneva Bosques, Fremont police spokeswoman, said officers would take action at the direction of the county Health Officer. She referred further comment to the Health Department, where the AP left messages seeking comment.
The Health Department said Saturday it was in talks with Tesla to reopen the plant safely.
The restart came two days after Tesla sued the county health department seeking to overturn its order, and Musk threatened to move Tesla’s manufacturing operations and headquarters from the state.
Tesla contends in the lawsuit that Alameda County can’t be more restrictive than orders from California Gov. Gavin Newsom. The lawsuit says the governor’s coronavirus restrictions refer to...
