Tesla’s Fremont factory will reduce its workforce from 10,000 to 2,500 workers, according to a spokesperson with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office.

Courtesy of Tesla

Tesla Motors’ main factory will remain open and will be allowed to operate at limited capacity, despite a previous order from county officials that declared the automobile plant nonessential during an area-wide lockdown over the coronavirus. Tesla has committed to reducing its workforce from about 10,000 people to about 2,500 at its factory in Fremont, California, an Alameda County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson told BuzzFeed News on Wednesday, noting that despite earlier reports of a shutdown, the plant will remain open. On Tuesday, the sheriff's office issued a directive noting that Tesla could “maintain basic minimum operations.” Sgt. Ray Kelly, a public information officer with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, told BuzzFeed News that the company will operate with one-fourth of its typical workforce, noting that the communications between his office and the company had been “positive.” “They assured me in a phone call to do a step-down reduction from about 10,000 to 2,500 people,” he said. “The county is very sensitive to what they’re dealing with.” Kelly later told BuzzFeed News that Tesla had already made the reductions in its workforce but was unclear on the specifics. Tesla, which has about 10,000 total workers at the factory who work on different shifts, did not respond to an email request for comment.

Tesla: @Tesla is not an essential business as defined in the Alameda County Health Order. Tesla can maintain minimum basic operations per the Alameda County Health Order.

On Tuesday, residents of six Bay Area counties were ordered to shelter in place, or remain at home, and many businesses were ordered to close. While “essential” businesses — including grocery stores, pharmacies, and gas stations — were allowed to remain open, it was initially unclear if Tesla’s factory fell into that category. The company continued manufacturing operations into Wednesday.

One factory worker who spoke with BuzzFeed News before news of the reduction on Wednesday questioned that decision. They asked to remain anonymous for fear of losing their job. “Tesla is like a hotbox,” they said. “Thousands working in that environment — if a few get infected, how easy can it spread?” While Alameda County deemed Tesla’s factory as “not an essential business” on Tuesday afternoon, its ability to “maintain minimum basic operations” as defined by authorities will allow it to perform activities that “maintain the value of the business’s inventory, ensure security, process payroll and employee benefits,” and other related functions. A spokesperson with the Alameda County Public Health Services office declined to say whether manufacturing cars fit into one of those categories

“Tesla is like a hotbox.”