Census response is on track despite the coronavirus. Here’s why it matters now

Census Day is observed nationwide April 1. By then, every home will have received an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census.

Despite the coronavirus outbreak that has led to the suspension of census field operations, the U.S. Census counts are on track in California, officials say. Small adjustments in dates have been made to make sure people are counted.

Census field operations have been temporarily suspended to help protect the health and safety of Americans and to slow the spread of COVID-19. Workers have paused in-person efforts, which are intended to ensure that residents participate in the count that determines political representation in Congress and federal funding.

Since the launch of the online census forms on March 12, about 36 percent of Californians have completed their surveys.

The progress is in sync with expectations, according to Jeffrey Enos, Census Bureau deputy regional director of the Los Angeles Region. “It is where we projected it, and we are pushing as many people to be counted as possible,” he said.

In light of a public health crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic, it is especially important to fill in the census for fair representation and fair funding and resources, said Diana Crofts-Pelayo, assistant deputy director of external affairs and media relations for the California Complete Count for Census 2020.

“We are needing as many resources as possible to come and stay in our communities, and that goes for public safety, hospital beds, emergency preparedness, school nutrition lunch programs... (what) all families are depending on, especially now than ever,” Crofts-Pelayo said.

Responses to the 2020 census shapes decisions, Enos said. For every individual counted, it accounts to nearly $2,000 for federal funding distributed to the state per year, for 10 years.

“We are talking about hundreds and billions of dollars of federal funding, and to look at demographics to decide where funding is needed for certain services,” he said.

Dates have been adjusted to work around the pandemic. The self-response period for the census questionnaire has been extended from July 31 to Aug. 14, according to a press release issued by the Sacramento Region Community Foundation. The deadline for the Census Bureau to finish its follow-up field work has also been pushed to a later date. Enumerators will conduct door-to-door visits to those who haven’t filled in the forms by mid-August.

With cushions for extended deadlines, Enos said census outreach should be finished on time.

Although the citizenship question is not included in the questionnaire, many are worried that federal agencies such as the Immigration and Customs Enforcement could access their personal information from the Census Bureau.

Under Title 13 of the U.S. Code, the Census Bureau is strictly prohibited from sharing any identifiable information of individuals, even to government agencies, according to Enos. While reports of summarized statistics will be made available to the public, any data that could expose individual responses will not be released.

“This census is one of the most important in our lifetime,” Crofts-Pelayo said. “There is no better time than now to have your family, yourself and your community to put on record that you count and matter.”

The census can be filled in online, by phone with language support, or by mailing in a paper questionnaire once than are mailed in April.

According to the Sacramento Region Community Foundation, the U.S. Census Bureau announced timeline adjustments for Census operations to make sure everyone’s health and safety with regards to the COVID-19 pandemic. Critical changes include:

• The self-response period has been extended to Aug. 14 from July 31.

• The deadline for the Census Bureau to wrap up its follow-up field operations, such as door to door operations, has also been moved to Aug. 14 from July 31.

• The Mobile Questionnaire Assistance program, in which census staff members attend events or visit key locations such as grocery stores or houses of worship to help people respond, will begin on April 13 instead of March 30.

• Individuals who reside in areas with no mail service will have a questionnaire dropped off by census enumerators. Those enumerators have been instructed not to knock on doors and speak to people.