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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

Pandemic creates challenges for 2020 census effort

Marshall Helmberger
Posted 3/27/20

REGIONAL— Once a decade, the U.S. Census has traditionally taken center stage as the federal government focuses its resources on this constitutionally-mandated effort to better understand who …

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Pandemic creates challenges for 2020 census effort

Posted

REGIONAL— Once a decade, the U.S. Census has traditionally taken center stage as the federal government focuses its resources on this constitutionally-mandated effort to better understand who and how many of us live within U.S. borders. But what happens when the census effort runs into an almost unprecedented event like the response to the coronavirus, or COVID-19, outbreak?
The ultimate answer to that question likely won’t be known for months. In the meantime, census officials are scrambling to adjust to a world that has changed remarkably in just the past two weeks and left most Americans focused on the uncertainty surrounding the outbreak and the economic fallout of the response.
For now, census officials are focusing on the positive. Maureen Schriner, the spokesperson for the federal census in Minnesota, noted that millions of American households have already responded to the census. As of Wednesday, the Census Bureau was reporting that 23.6 percent of American households had responded to the census so far. Minnesota’s response rate was significantly higher, at 29.3 percent.
Here in the North Country, response so far varies dramatically by community. A total of 40.9 percent of Babbitt residents had responded as of Monday, while just 9.5 percent of Tower residents had done so. In Ely, 28.7 percent of residents had responded to the census, while 27.4 percent of residents in Cook had done so. Twenty-four percent of Orr residents had responded as of Monday. Response rates from most rural townships in the region were considerably lower. Across St. Louis County, 27.7 percent of residents had responded, while only 19.8 percent of Lake County residents had done the same.
Tracking down the roughly three-quarters of Americans who have yet to respond may not be as easy as it might have been just a couple weeks ago. For example, colleges and universities are now shutting down across the country, including here in northeastern Minnesota, and many college students are returning home until classes resume. So, where do students in such a situation really reside? “It’s where they live most of the time,” said Schriner. Yet if students are now back home with parents and may not be returning to their schools before fall, how does that advice apply?
That’s just one of the challenges facing census workers right now. Last week, the census opted to suspend its field operations nationwide as part of the effort to slow the spread of the new coronavirus. That shutdown of in-person outreach is scheduled to continue through April 1, at least for now.
Census officials say that it’s never been easier to fill out your census form online. In fact, for those with internet experience who are filling out the standard short form, the process should take no more than five minutes to complete. While that may be the solution for many Americans, it may not be the answer for households with elderly or those with limited English skills. That’s where personal outreach is often important to ensure a response.
For now, Schriner said the census is focused on getting the word out to a diverse audience, with promotional campaigns in various media in 12 different languages. “We’re in the motivational stage,” said Schriner.