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Coronavirus Impacts: U.S. Census Being Disrupted By COVID-19 Pandemic

CBS NEWS -- April first was "Census Day," a day to promote participation in the 2020 census. But the U.S. census count is being disrupted by the COVID-19 crisis.

Jim Dobyns wants to make sure everyone in his household is counted in the census. He says it's an important civic duty, on par with voting.

"And it just asked you who all lives in the house and basically their age, their relationship to you, and birthday so it's a very simple process," Dobyns says.

As of March 31, more than 36% of the nation's households had responded, according to the census website (census.gov). But the coronavirus is interrupting the process.

"We have delayed and even suspended some of our operations, temporarily," says Michael Cook from the U.S. Census Bureau.

CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE:

Door-to-door census deliveries are now on hold to millions of homes in some rural areas. The need for an accurate count ensures communities get political representation and federal dollars for roads, schools, emergency services, and money that can aid in times of a crisis.

"Those funds, those resources that are provided to communities across the country, they deal with things like emergency preparedness," Cook says.

COVID-19 is also impacting how college students will be counted, since many have moved home with classes now canceled. When filling out the census, students must use the address where they lived during the school year.

The official deadline to respond to the census is now August 14, but for Dobyns, that's no reason to wait.

"It's no better time to do it, I mean, we're all essentially self-quarantined at home," he says.

An unprecedented time, presenting challenges for the Census Bureau that insists it will meet the deadline mandated by the constitution to ensure everyone is counted.

For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.

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