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Census Suspends Field Operations Amid Coronavirus Fears Census Suspends Field Operations Amid Coronavirus Fears
(8 days 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.
Updated August 6, 2020 Updated August 12, 2020
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.
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.