"We look forward to reviewing Tesla's plan and coming to agreement on protocol and a timeline to reopen safely," the county statement said.
Tesla said in a 38-page "Return to Work Playbook" released Saturday night it has safety procedures to protect workers including increased cleaning, enforcement of social distancing, providing face coverings and gloves where needed, installing barriers between workers when necessary and worker temperature checks at “some locations.”
Scott Haggerty, a member of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors whose district includes the Tesla plant, said Monday he has been in talks with health officials and Tesla plant executives for three weeks working toward a May 18 reopening of the facility. He said until the end of last weeks, the discussions "were always very cordial."
"It's really working with them to make sure the proper policies and procedures are in place, to make sure that when their employees come back, they come back safe," Haggerty said in an interview. "That has been the number one focus of my public health director."
Haggerty said company officials pressed for an earlier opening to the resumption of operations. Then Tesla filed its lawsuit and Musk fired his Twitter fusillade. One tweet included a swipe at the county's interim health officer, Dr. Erica Pan, whom musk characterized as "ignorant."
The supervisor said that Monday, despite "some nasty things" said about Pan, the dialogue between health officials and plant managers was continuing.
Musk is "used to moving at the speed of sound and he wants everybody around him to do the very same thing," Haggerty said. "The county wasn't in that position. They have to be very methodical in how they open this this economy back up, get people back to work, and we have to do it to make sure people are safe."
As to Musk's threatening tweets and the company lawsuit, Haggerty said, "I'm sure he has his reasonings for what he's doing. I kind of wish in my heart of hearts that he had not done it because we were so darn close and we wouldn't even be the story of the day."
Musk has issued a series of bitterly critical tweets about the stay-home order since the company’s April 29 first-quarter earnings were released. He has called the restrictions "fascist."
Tesla’s reopening comes as other automakers are starting to reopen factories in the U.S. Toyota also planned to restart production Monday, while General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler all plan to restart their plants gradually next week.
This story includes reporting from KQED's Sara Hossaini and The Associated Press.