Despite the decision by six Bay Area counties to issue an order for their citizens to stay home to curb coronavirus transmission and flatten its growth curve, Tesla has decided to challenge this order. The Fremont factory, where the Model S, Model X, Model 3, and Model Y are currently produced, will continue to operate.

Citizens are counseled to work from home or stop working unless an essential service is provided, such as health workers, police, firefighters, and other emergency personnel. The responsibility for enforcing the restrictions will rest with the area’s sheriffs and police chiefs, although the concrete steps to be taken are still unknown.

The Fremont factory is located in one of the affected counties. Although the plant was initially thought to be closed when the ban went into effect at midnight, several reports from Tesla’s employees indicate that the company intends to keep it running the factory until at least tomorrow.

Although US media such as Electrek have tried to contact Tesla on several occasions to find out about the factory situation, they have received no response. Therefore, it is not known whether the electric car maker has received an exemption of some kind or whether it has instead decided to ignore the authorities.

Elon Musk himself, the company’s executive director, has said on the social network Twitter that fear of the coronavirus is worse than the pandemic itself, something for which some sectors have strongly criticized him.