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Census Suspends Field Operations Amid Coronavirus Fears Census Suspends Field Operations Amid Coronavirus Fears
(2 months later)
WASHINGTON — Only days into the start of the 2020 census, the Census Bureau said Wednesday that it is suspending its field operations for two weeks while it searches for ways to protect its workers from exposure to the coronavirus.WASHINGTON — Only days into the start of the 2020 census, the Census Bureau said Wednesday that it is suspending its field operations for two weeks while it searches for ways to protect its workers from exposure to the coronavirus.
The immediate impact of the suspension, beyond a delay in a scheduled count of the nation’s homeless and a break in training census-takers, was not clear. But experts who had been briefed on the move said the bureau was racing to adjust to government warnings about the scope and consequences of the virus’s spread, which seemed to grow more dire by the day.The immediate impact of the suspension, beyond a delay in a scheduled count of the nation’s homeless and a break in training census-takers, was not clear. But experts who had been briefed on the move said the bureau was racing to adjust to government warnings about the scope and consequences of the virus’s spread, which seemed to grow more dire by the day.
The first and biggest part of the head count — persuading residents to fill out census forms online, by mail or over the telephone — appears to be going well. While the first census invitations reached homes only last week, some 11 million households have completed forms online and hundreds of thousands more have responded by mail and phone.The first and biggest part of the head count — persuading residents to fill out census forms online, by mail or over the telephone — appears to be going well. While the first census invitations reached homes only last week, some 11 million households have completed forms online and hundreds of thousands more have responded by mail and phone.
But the accuracy of the census ultimately depends on hundreds of thousands of trained census-takers called enumerators. Their job is to track down millions of residents who fail to fill out forms or are unable to receive them by mail. Those counts, which generally involve face-to-face encounters, have only just begun, and the biggest push will not start until late May. But any significant delay could threaten the success of a national head count whose meticulous plans took years to prepare.But the accuracy of the census ultimately depends on hundreds of thousands of trained census-takers called enumerators. Their job is to track down millions of residents who fail to fill out forms or are unable to receive them by mail. Those counts, which generally involve face-to-face encounters, have only just begun, and the biggest push will not start until late May. But any significant delay could threaten the success of a national head count whose meticulous plans took years to prepare.
“The bureau clearly hopes to resume operations as previously planned, but nobody has a crystal ball,” said Terri Ann Lowenthal, a consultant on census issues for business and advocacy groups promoting an accurate count. “The more the Census Bureau has to shift and modify operations and deviate from its plans, the harder it will be to have an acceptable outcome.”“The bureau clearly hopes to resume operations as previously planned, but nobody has a crystal ball,” said Terri Ann Lowenthal, a consultant on census issues for business and advocacy groups promoting an accurate count. “The more the Census Bureau has to shift and modify operations and deviate from its plans, the harder it will be to have an acceptable outcome.”
A spokesman for the bureau did not immediately respond to questions about the scope and impact of the suspension.A spokesman for the bureau did not immediately respond to questions about the scope and impact of the suspension.
Ms. Lowenthal and others said the hiatus primarily affects two operations that unfold during the two-week period. The first, which is already underway, involves distributing census forms or instructions on how to respond to the census to at least 6.2 million households that have unconventional addresses or rely on post office boxes for mail. Those appear to include many Native American reservations, sites still recovering from natural disasters like Puerto Rico, which is grappling with displaced populations, and seasonal areas like beach towns where some households are occupied only seasonally.Ms. Lowenthal and others said the hiatus primarily affects two operations that unfold during the two-week period. The first, which is already underway, involves distributing census forms or instructions on how to respond to the census to at least 6.2 million households that have unconventional addresses or rely on post office boxes for mail. Those appear to include many Native American reservations, sites still recovering from natural disasters like Puerto Rico, which is grappling with displaced populations, and seasonal areas like beach towns where some households are occupied only seasonally.
That count, which involves brief human contact on a broad scale, could resume when the suspension ends on April 2 if bureau officials are satisfied that workers can be adequately protected, Ms. Lowenthal said.That count, which involves brief human contact on a broad scale, could resume when the suspension ends on April 2 if bureau officials are satisfied that workers can be adequately protected, Ms. Lowenthal said.
The second count is of roughly 500,000 homeless people in shelters, temporary housing and on the street, scheduled for two days beginning March 30. Medical experts have singled out the homeless as especially vulnerable to picking up and spreading the coronavirus because of their living conditions and poor health. Experts said the bureau has postponed that count while it tries to devise safer ways for enumerators to conduct the tally.The second count is of roughly 500,000 homeless people in shelters, temporary housing and on the street, scheduled for two days beginning March 30. Medical experts have singled out the homeless as especially vulnerable to picking up and spreading the coronavirus because of their living conditions and poor health. Experts said the bureau has postponed that count while it tries to devise safer ways for enumerators to conduct the tally.
Most training of census workers is conducted online, but experts said the bureau is also suspending in-person training and intends to move those exercises online as well.Most training of census workers is conducted online, but experts said the bureau is also suspending in-person training and intends to move those exercises online as well.
Steve Jost, a former spokesman for the Census Bureau, said in an email that a delay “greatly increases the risk to the accuracy and completeness of the count, and possibly the delivery of the data products.” The activities affected by the suspension are labor-intensive and “essential to a complete count,” he said.Steve Jost, a former spokesman for the Census Bureau, said in an email that a delay “greatly increases the risk to the accuracy and completeness of the count, and possibly the delivery of the data products.” The activities affected by the suspension are labor-intensive and “essential to a complete count,” he said.
What happens to the rest of the census’s sprawling nationwide apparatus was not clear. A third in-person count targeting remote areas like mountain cabins and lake cottages with no fixed address appears so far to be unaffected. Nor did the bureau’s announcement discuss safety measures at dozens of regional headquarters and two data centers it operates, in Tucson, Ariz., and Jeffersonville, Ind., that employ large numbers of seasonal workers.What happens to the rest of the census’s sprawling nationwide apparatus was not clear. A third in-person count targeting remote areas like mountain cabins and lake cottages with no fixed address appears so far to be unaffected. Nor did the bureau’s announcement discuss safety measures at dozens of regional headquarters and two data centers it operates, in Tucson, Ariz., and Jeffersonville, Ind., that employ large numbers of seasonal workers.
Updated May 28, 2020
States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people.
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
More than 40 million people — the equivalent of 1 in 4 U.S. workers — have filed for unemployment benefits since the pandemic took hold. One in five who were working in February reported losing a job or being furloughed in March or the beginning of April, data from a Federal Reserve survey released on May 14 showed, and that pain was highly concentrated among low earners. Fully 39 percent of former workers living in a household earning $40,000 or less lost work, compared with 13 percent in those making more than $100,000, a Fed official said.
There is an uptick in people reporting symptoms of chilblains, which are painful red or purple lesions that typically appear in the winter on fingers or toes. The lesions are emerging as yet another symptom of infection with the new coronavirus. Chilblains are caused by inflammation in small blood vessels in reaction to cold or damp conditions, but they are usually common in the coldest winter months. Federal health officials do not include toe lesions in the list of coronavirus symptoms, but some dermatologists are pushing for a change, saying so-called Covid toe should be sufficient grounds for testing.
Yes, but make sure you keep six feet of distance between you and people who don’t live in your home. Even if you just hang out in a park, rather than go for a jog or a walk, getting some fresh air, and hopefully sunshine, is a good idea.
Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications.
The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing.
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested.
Charity Navigator, which evaluates charities using a numbers-based system, has a running list of nonprofits working in communities affected by the outbreak. You can give blood through the American Red Cross, and World Central Kitchen has stepped in to distribute meals in major cities.
And the statement only briefly mentioned perhaps the biggest challenge of all: finding a way to shield the hundreds of thousands of enumerators who will be deployed in late May to knock on the doors of every household that did not respond to an invitation to fill out census forms.And the statement only briefly mentioned perhaps the biggest challenge of all: finding a way to shield the hundreds of thousands of enumerators who will be deployed in late May to knock on the doors of every household that did not respond to an invitation to fill out census forms.
Their work used to entail long sessions in living rooms and kitchens where residents filled out paper forms. This year, those census-takers should be able to conduct most of their work from front porches, asking questions and punching the results into iPhones that transmit the answers to remote computers.Their work used to entail long sessions in living rooms and kitchens where residents filled out paper forms. This year, those census-takers should be able to conduct most of their work from front porches, asking questions and punching the results into iPhones that transmit the answers to remote computers.
“As we continue to monitor the evolving COVID-19 outbreak, we will adjust census taker and survey operations as necessary in order to follow the guidance of federal, state and local health authorities,” the Census Bureau director, Steven Dillingham, said in the statement.“As we continue to monitor the evolving COVID-19 outbreak, we will adjust census taker and survey operations as necessary in order to follow the guidance of federal, state and local health authorities,” the Census Bureau director, Steven Dillingham, said in the statement.