City of Downey, CA
Home MenuCOVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions - As of 5/28/2020 @ 11:24 am
Yes. The Order applies to all cities and unincorporated cities in the County of Los Angeles.
Yes. The City of Downey is considered an “Essential Business”.
City Hall will be re-opening to the public - June 1, 2020. Click here to read the press release
However, to comply with the County's Health Officer Order, the following City facilities continue to be closed to the public:
- Barbara J. Riley Community & Senior Center
- McCaughan Gym located at Apollo Park
- City Maintenance Yard
- Downey Civic Theatre
- Columbia Memorial Space Center
- Parks will stay open with the exception of playgrounds, basketball courts, volleyball courts, fitness equipment, and Skate Park.
The City of Downey does not have jurisdiction over the Downey Courthouse. For more information regarding the Downey Courthouse, visit: http://www.lacourt.org/
The City’s Utilities Division is willing to work with customers experiencing financial hardship so that their water service will not be disconnected for non-payment. We encourage these customers to contact our Customer Service Center at (562) 904-7246 to discuss payment extension and payment plan options that may be available to keep their accounts in good standing.
Anyone who has been the victim of price gouging, or who has information regarding potential price gouging, is encouraged to immediately file a complaint with the California Attorney General's Office by reporting to online at https://oag.ca.gov/ or by calling (800) 952-5225. Individuals can also contact the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs at https://iddweb.isd.lacounty.gov/dca_ecomplaint/, (800) 593-8222, and info@dcba.lacounty.gov.
Individuals can contact the LA County Department of Public Health at (888) 700-9995 (8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.), email: Ehmail@ph.lacounty.gov, or file an online complaint with Environmental Health.
The City has set-up a specific hotline number for residents to call if they have specific questions pertaining to City operations and programming not stated in
this FAQ. Individuals can call 562-299-6711 to speak to a City representative for those specific questions during normal business hours, M-F from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.A new Health Officer Order is being issued that extends the stipulation in the previous Health Officer Order through May 15, 2020. The Order also requires essential businesses to provide a cloth face covering for all of their employees to wear while performing duties that involve contact with other employees and or the public and to post their physical distancing plans. The public is also required to wear a face covering to enter essential businesses.
Please visit https://covid19.lacounty.gov/face-coverings/ or http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/ for more information.
The City has postponed all public events until further notice. A complete list of postponed events is available on our City website at
All programs, special events, and activities in City parks and facilities are temporarily suspended, as well.
Refunds for classes/events will be given accordingly and staff will work with the various partner agencies to reschedule events for future dates.
All reservations previously scheduled in City parks and facilities will be cancelled or rescheduled. Please contact the Parks and Recreation Department for questions or more information at 562-904-7223.
The Senior Congregate Meal program at the Barbara J. Riley Community and Senior Center will begin frozen meal distribution on Wednesday, March 18, 2020. Seniors (60+) can call (562) 862-8800 by 1pm to make reservations for frozen meals pick-up for the following day. Seniors can pick-up up multiple meals at once. Please call (562) 862-8800 for frozen meal availability for the week of March 23, 2020.
The Parks and Recreation Department will provide transit services between 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. to allow seniors to pick up their meals and be transported home.
Patrons can register to participate by contacting (562) 904-7238.
No. The public should contact their league representatives directly for questions or more information.
Yes there are confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Downey. To received the most update numbers, LA County Public Health publishes daily updates on its COVID-19 website:
Per the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, here’s what we can tell you:
• All confirmed cases are being isolated and close contacts are quarantined.
• Dept. of Public Health staff will do “contact tracing” to determine how the patient contracted the virus and who they may have contacted afterwards. Those people will be contacted and will be ordered to follow public health protocols for their safety and the community’s safety.
• If there is any reason to believe a large number of people may have been in contact with the patient, then a more general public notification of where the patient visited will be made.
• According to the Department of Public Health there is likely an “undercount” of cases right now in L.A. County, so there are probably cases in every community at this point then those actually reported.
This stresses the need for residents to STAY HOME, and take social distancing and practice good public health hygiene seriously.
For up-to-date information regarding number of cases in L.A. County, please visit the County’s Department of Public Health website at http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/.
- Stay at home when sick.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
Prepare, don’t panic.
- The City understands that everyone is concerned - the situation we’re in is unprecedented.
- In preparing households, people should take what they need. Overbuying creates a shortage for others.
- As a reminder, the Downey Farmer’s Market will remain open as it is considered an “essential function” for individuals to buy food. The Downey Farmer’s Market is open on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m.
Residents needing home or rental assistance can contact the City’s Housing Division at 562-904-7161 for additional information.
- Pursuant to Paragraph 3 of Executive Order N-29-20, executed by the Governor of California on March 17, 2020, and County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health Order of the Health Officer Revised Order Issued May 29, 2020 as a response to mitigating the spread of Coronavirus known as COVID-19 and providing direction for moving the County through Stage 2 of California’s pandemic resilience roadmap, City Council meetings will allow members of the public to participate and address the City Council during the open session of the meeting via teleconference as well as a limited number of in person attendees within the City Hall Council Chambers. The public can also contact (877) 853-5247 or (888) 788-0099, and enter the Meeting ID number listed on the meeting agenda and press the # (pound) key, to listen to the City Council or Planning Commission meeting.
- City Council and Planning Commission meetings will continue to be lived streamed through the City’sYouTube Channel.
- The City has created two email addresses:ccpubliccomment@downeyca.org (City Council Meetings) and pcpubliccomment@downeyca.org (Planning Commission Meetings) where the public can submit public comment to be read into the record at a City Council or Planning Commission meeting. The email addresses are posted on the City Clerk’s and video streaming webpages.
The City has created a webpage on its website with the latest information. Please visit www.downeyca.org/coronavirus. You can also find information on the City’s social media outlets: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.