Thread by @hansilowang

What you need to know about #COVID19 & #2020Census: Census Bureau needs as many U.S. households as possible to get themselves counted now at my2020census.gov or 1-844-330-2020 bc getting a good count any other way may become "practically impossible"
npr.org/2020/03/11/814…

2. I've learned a lot more after spending the past week digging into how the coronavirus is affecting the once-a-decade, constitutionally mandated head count of every U.S. resident. It rolled out nationwide *right* in the middle of a pandemic, and I got some scoops for you...

3. SCOOP: @NPR has learned at least one recently hired Census Bureau employee — who has not engaged w public on behalf of bureau — tested positive for COVID-19, now quarantined after interacting w other workers & trainers at new employee training session. From spox Michael Cook👇

4. The Census Bureau is not aware of any "work-related public activity" by the employees in self-quarantine, spokesperson Michael Cook tells me. The bureau plans to do more online training, incorporate social distancing techniques and give census workers safety equipment.

5. Because of coronavirus, a growing number of Democratic members of Congress are urging the Census Bureau to extend counting for #2020Census past July 31. The bureau says that's possible. It's watching to see how many households respond on their own before deciding what to do.

6. But the bureau still faces a critical legal deadline: Under Title 13 of the U.S. Code, Section 141, the Census Bureau is required to deliver the latest population counts of each state to the president by December 31 ("within 9 months after the census date," aka April 1)👇

7. I asked Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham on March 12 whether bureau is considering asking Congress to extend Dec. 31 deadline for the apportionment count. Dillingham: "I wouldn't take anything off the table, but that's the first mention I've heard of that possibility."

8. SCOOP: The Census Bureau has decided to delay starting its early round of door-knocking by census workers in college towns to April 23, instead of beginning on April 9, because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to spokesperson Michael Cook👇

9. SCOOP: The Census Bureau is waiting until early April, instead of late March, to begin outreach through "Mobile Questionnaire Assistance" program, Michael Cook says. #2020Census workers with tablets to help people submit info online at public locations with low response rates.

10. The Census Bureau may decide this week to delay counting people experiencing homelessness who are staying in shelters, spokesperson Michael Cook says. It's currently set for March 30 - April 1. Bureau's evaluating delaying April 1 count of homeless people living outdoors.

11. Cook says bureau is trying to encourage 68,000 nursing homes, prisons & other group living facilities, excluding college dorms, to send in info about their residents online or by paper, instead of waiting for a census worker to do in-person interviews starting in early April.

12. Cook says bureau is contacting close to 12,900 dorms that had chosen earlier this year to have bureau drop off paper forms for each of their student residents to fill out individually. It may be too chaotic to do that after canceling of in-person classes and dorm closures.

13. NEW: The Census Bureau is suggesting colleges & universities advise students who left campus to get counted on their own at my2020census.gov using address at school. Letter to the Department of Education that the Census Bureau provided to @NPR👇
documentcloud.org/documents/6810…

14. Will the coronavirus shut down the 2 centers that process #2020Census paper forms? They're in Phoenix & Jeffersonville, Ind., across the river from Louisville, Ky. I'm keeping my 👀 on them bc if this primarily online count goes haywire, the main backstop is paper👇

15. I'm also keeping my 👀 on how pandemic could complicate staffing at 10 call centers for #2020Census phone responses. They're in: Tempe, AZ; Pueblo, CO; Jacksonville, FL; Tamarac, FL; Kansas City, MO; New York City; Blytheville, SC; El Paso, TX; Irving, TX; & Nashville, TN.

16. Those call centers for fielding #2020Census questions and taking responses in 13 languages. Stand by for the toll-free numbers for the non-English lines...

Español 844-468-2020
普通话 844-391-2020
粤语 844-398-2020
tiếng Việt 844-461-2020
한국어 844-392-2020
pусский 844-417-2020
العربية:844-416-2020
Tagalog 844-478-2020
Polish 844-479-2020
Français 844-494-2020
Kreyòl Ayisyen 844-477-2020
Português 844-474-2020
日本語 844-460-2020

18. As of 3/14, 3 million households have submitted an online response to my2020census.gov since it was soft-launched on 3/9. The bureau's counting on more households to do the census online now because the rest of this #2020Census year is full of uncertainty.

19. What questions do you have about the #2020Census and #COVID19?

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