FREMONT, CA — Multiple Tesla employees working here have tested positive for COVID-19. The luxury electric car maker reopened its plant in May after months of closure amid the coronavirus spread, despite ongoing battle with local authorities.
At least two employees at seat-assembly plant facility in Fremont were positive for the coronavirus, according to a report by Washington Post. Additional reports state four workers on the company's main Model S/X assembly line tested positive for the virus.
At the seat-assembly facility, both affected employees were said to be working on different shifts. The workers have not returned to the assembly line, the report said.
Further, at the main Model S/X assembly line, the affected production associates worked on the same part of the assembly line.
At the plant, workers are said to be wearing masks, hand sanitizer available and temperatures taken while entering the factory, while they are not able to observe social distancing.
Tesla had temporarily suspended operations at its California and New York factories in March, following many days of stand-off with local authorities amid the stay-at-home orders. The company was ordered by the Sheriff's Office in Alameda County, where Tesla is based, to shut down its Fremont plant, stating that it was not an essential business.
In May, Tesla filed a lawsuit against Alameda County, alleging that the county order directly contradicts California Governor Gavin Newsom's order. CEO Elon Musk also threatened to move Tesla operations out of California.