Updated 8:21 p.m.: We have corrected the headline and story to clarify when communications occurred between Alameda County and Tesla. We have also added more context from Alameda County's statement.
Alameda County and Tesla are in a standstill over the Bay Area’s stay-at-home order after the company defied local stay-at-home orders and reopened its Fremont manufacturing plant Monday.
“We have notified Tesla that they can only maintain minimum basic operations until we have an approved plan that can be implemented in accordance with the local public health order,” a statement from Alameda County reads.
“We are addressing this matter using the same phased approach we use for other businesses which have violated the Order in the past, and we hope that Tesla will likewise comply without further enforcement measures,” it said.
The county said it has worked “in good faith” with the electric car manufacturer on a plan that “ensures the safety of their thousands of employees and the communities in which they live and work.”
Tesla sued Alameda County this past weekend over the local stay-at-home order, which is more stringent than the state’s, and billionaire founder Elon Musk threatened to move the company to Texas or Nevada.
In his daily briefing Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said he was unaware that the factory had reopened, but has continually encouraged local governments to reopen at their own pace — as long as it doesn’t get ahead of the state.
“We respect the right, based on local conditions, for people to be a little more strict,” he said.
Still, when asked about Tesla, the governor said he has “great reverence for their technology, for their innovative spirit, for their leadership” and that he hoped to see the company remain in the state “for many, many decades.”
He also deferred enforcement of the stay-at-home order to the county.
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