Tesla factory in California is not allowed to open for the time being

Elon Musk, Tesla’s chief executive and founder, told employees on Thursday that auto plant production would resume on a limited scale on Friday afternoon (local time). Manufacturers in California were told by Governor Gavin Newsom earlier on Thursday to return to work shortly. The state will gradually relax the strict conditions during the pandemic.

However, the authorities of Alameda County, where the Tesla plant is located, will maintain the lockdown measures until the end of May. Only essential activities may be resumed. “Tesla has been informed that they do not meet those criteria and that they should not reopen,” said a spokesman.

CEO Musk has repeatedly criticized corona measures in California and the rest of the US. Musk recently called the California lockdown “fascist,” and previously labeled the panic that arose after the corona pandemic broke out as “blunt.”