California officials surrender to Elon Musk, allow Tesla Fremont plant to reopen

Tesla has been given a green light to reopen its Fremont, California after Elon Musk defied local lockdown restrictions to reopen on Monday. The standoff between Musk and California’s Alameda County officials came to an end earlier today after the county agreed to let Tesla’s factory in Fremont, California, reopen.

The announcement came a day after CEO Elon Musk announced he was defying local government lockdown orders to restart production. The Alameda County Health Department released a statement late Tuesday saying the plant in Fremont will be allowed to go beyond basic operations starting next Monday if Tesla abides by its part of the agreement to adopt extra safety recommendations amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“We will be working with the Fremont Police Department to verify Tesla is adhering to physical distancing and that agreed upon health and safety measures are in place for the safety of their workers as they prepare for full production,” county health officials said in a written statement.

“We will be working with the Fremont Police Department to verify Tesla is adhering to physical distancing and that agreed upon health and safety measures are in place for the safety of their workers as they prepare for full production,” Neetu Balram, the public information manager for the Alameda County Public Health Department, said in a statement.

On Monday, Musk received support from President Trump. In a post on Twitter, President Trump said: “California should let Tesla &  @elonmusk open the plant, NOW. It can be done Fast & Safely!”

California should let Tesla & @elonmusk open the plant, NOW. It can be done Fast & Safely!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 12, 2020