California officials appear to allow Tesla factory to stay open

California officials and Tesla CEO Elon Musk appear to be close to plan that would allow the high-end automaker to open its plant, after Musk defied rules that closed businesses deemed non-essential. 

Tesla representatives met with Alameda County officials on Tuesday to negotiate a deal and plan of action for the company to begin safely reopening. 

On Monday, Musk called 10,000 workers at the Fremont, California, factory back to work, in defiance of orders from county officials. The plant had been closed since March 23. 

Musk tweeted on Monday evening that Tesla would be restarting production "against Alameda County rules." 

"I will be on the line with everyone else. If anyone is arrested, I ask that it only be me," continued Musk. 

On Tuesday, Musk sent his employees an email offering them his congratulations on returning to work. 

"We will be working with the Fremont PD to verify that Tesla is adhering to physical distancing and that agreed upon health and safety measures are in place for the safety of their workers as they prepare for full production," said a release from the Alameda County Public Health Department. 

It is unclear whether Tesla plans to halt its manufacturing processes until the new safety measures are in place. 

President Trump took to twitter to call on California officials to allow the Tesla plant to reopen.

Earlier reports suggest that some Tesla employees returned to work as early as last week, and that some production lines has been operational over the weekend.