Dispute over reopening Tesla Fremont factory may be over

FREMONT, Calif. (AP) - It appears the dispute between Tesla and authorities over the reopening of a factory in the face of shutdown orders is coming to an end.

The Alameda County Public Health Department announced on Twitter late Tuesday that the Fremont plant will be able to go beyond basic operations this week and start making vehicles Monday — as long as it delivers on worker safety precautions that it agreed to.

It wasn’t clear from a news release whether Tesla would face any punishment for reopening last Monday in defiance of county orders. Messages were left early Wednesday seeking comment from health officials and Tesla.

The release said Fremont police would verify whether Tesla was holding up its part of the agreement. The deal requires that public health indicators have to remain stable or improve for the factory to stay open.

“We will be working with the Fremont PD 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,” the release said.

Tesla’s factory reopened Monday for pre-production with Musk practically daring local authorities to arrest him and operations apparently continued into Tuesday. The company met a Monday deadline to submit a site-specific plan to protect worker safety.

But the reopening defied orders from the health department, which has deemed the factory a nonessential business that can’t fully open under restrictions intended to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.