Tesla’s Fremont plant staying open

Although six San Francisco Bay Area counties are now under a mandatory “shelter-in-place” lockdown as of Monday, affecting about 6.5 million people, Tesla’s doors will stay open, but employees have been advised to “stay home if they want to,” the L.A. Times is reporting. In an email to employees Monday night that was shared with the media, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said, “Operations will continue. If you feel the slightest bit ill or even uncomfortable, please do not feel obligated to come to work,” the LAT story said. On its website, the Alameda County Public Health Department lists those businesses allowed to operate under the minimum three-week “shelter-in-place” order as healthcare operations, including pharmacies; food, shelter, and social services or other necessities of life for economically disadvantaged or otherwise needy persons; food retailers and convenience stores; child care businesses; gas stations; banks; laundry businesses and services that are necessary for the maintenance of safety, sanitation and other essential residential operations. It’s likely that Tesla falls under a category described on the County website as exempting “gas stations and auto-supply, auto-repair, and related facilities.”