GREENE COUNTY — The U.S. Census Bureau is adjusting 2020 Census operations during the COVID-19 outbreak.
The 2020 Census is underway and households across America are responding every day. As of April 14, 59.4 percent of households in Greene County had self-responded to the census, according to 2020census.gov data. This compares to the statewide and nationwide response rate, 52.6 percent and 49.1 percent, respectively.
Adjustments are being made to protect the health and safety of the American public and Census Bureau employees, implement guidance from federal, state and local authorities, and ensure a complete and accurate count of all communities.
The Census Bureau temporarily suspended 2020 Census field data collection activities in March. Steps are already being taken to reactivate field offices beginning Monday, June 1 in preparation for the resumption of field data collection operations as quickly as possible following June 1, according to a statement by U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and U.S. Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham.
In-person activities, including all interaction with the public, enumeration, office work and processing activities, will incorporate the most current guidance to promote the health and safety of staff and the public. This will include recommended personal protective equipment (PPE) and social distancing practices.
Once 2020 Census data collection is complete, the Census Bureau begins a lengthy, thorough and scientifically rigorous process to produce the apportionment counts, redistricting information and other statistical data products that help guide hundreds of billions of dollars in public and private sector spending per year.
In order to ensure the completeness and accuracy of the 2020 Census, the Census Bureau is seeking statutory relief from Congress of 120 additional calendar days to deliver final apportionment counts.
Under this plan, the Census Bureau would extend the window for field data collection and self-response to Saturday, Oct. 31, which will allow for apportionment counts to be delivered to the president by Friday, April 30, 2021, and redistricting data to be delivered to the states no later than Saturday, July 31, 2021.
