Crisis Averted
The US Congress narrowly averted a government shutdown with the passage of a bipartisan funding bill, but the process laid bare the persistent challenges of governance in an era of heightened partisanship and external influences.
Luxury electric carmaker, Tesla, has announced that it would shutdown operations at its Fremont, California, factory on March 23 in acknowledgement of the coronavirus crisis. The factory has remained open for several days in apparent defiance of local county order.
The carmaker came under widespread criticism from government officials, industry watchdogs and many consumers for attempting to keep production humming in the face of Alameda county’s COVID-19-induced “shelter in place” order, CNET reported on Friday.
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On Tuesday it was initially reported that Tesla wouldn’t be subjected to the shelter-in-place order designed but the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department shortly thereafter issued a statement proclaiming 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”.
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Musk has repeatedly played down the threat of the Coronavirus pandemic, but lately, he has offered to make medical ventilators from its Fremont, California factory for coronavirus sufferers.
Responding to Pakistan’s Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry, a tweet from Musk said the company would make ventilators if there was a shortage.
As the number of Coronavirus cases rises across the globe, health officials have warned governments that soon they would run out of their life support systems, which has become a critical first line of defense for patients infected by the virus.
(With input from agencies)
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