Tesla Restarts Production, Musk Tweets 'If Anyone Is Arrested, I Ask That It Only Be Me'

Tesla Inc TSLA CEO Elon Musk said Monday the company is restarting production at its California factory.

What Happened Over The Weekend

Musk had told Fremont employees to prepare to return to work and resume production as soon as last Friday afternoon. However, Erica Pan, interim health officer for the Alameda County Public Health Department, said the county had not yet given Tesla the green light to reopen its factory due to health risks posed by COVID-19.

In response, Musk said over the weekend he's filing a lawsuit against the county and threatened to move Tesla headquarters out of the state of California.

"The unelected & ignorant 'Interim Health Officer' of Alameda is acting contrary to the Governor, the President, our Constitutional freedoms & just plain common sense!" Musk said in a Saturday tweet.

What Happened On Monday

"[P]roduction employees were booked for shifts this week starting on Sunday at Tesla," according to CNBC. "On Monday, local TV broadcasters showed employees’ cars streaming into the company’s parking lots."

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday afternoon said he was "surprised" to learn that Tesla has already reopened its Fremont factory to resume production.

Tesla is restarting production today against Alameda County rules. I will be on the line with everyone else. If anyone is arrested, I ask that it only be me.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 11, 2020

Tesla's stock closed Monday down 0.99% at $811.29 per share. The stock has a 52-week high of $968.99 and a 52-week low of $176.99.

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