Census Bureau to resume some field operations in South Dakota

SOUTH DAKOTA — The U.S. Census Bureau, in coordination with federal, state and local health officials, will begin a phased restart of some 2020 Census field operations in South Dakota next week. For the health and safety of Census employees and the public, field staff will observe social distancing protocols and will wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
As part of the phased restart of operations, the Census Bureau will deliver 2020 Census invitations and paper questionnaires to the front doors of roughly 72,000 statewide households where residents do not receive mail at their home. This operation is also known as Update Leave, where census workers will confirm or update a household’s physical location address and then leave a census questionnaire packet.
The Census Bureau began delivering census materials to these households on March 15; however, this operation was suspended on March 18 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Update Leave operation does not require interaction between households and a Census Bureau employee and follows the most current federal health and safety guidelines.
The Sioux Falls Area Census Office (ACO) staff will begin returning to the office as necessary to support the Update Leave operation, as well. The health and safety of Census Bureau staff and the public is of the utmost importance. All returning staff will receive safety training to observe social distancing protocols in the COVID-19 environment. They will also use government-provided personal protective equipment (PPE) for their safety and the safety of the public.
Households that receive the 2020 Census invitation packets are strongly encouraged to respond promptly to the 2020 Census using the census ID included in the questionnaire packet. People can respond online, by phone or by completing and returning the paper form by mail. Responding with the census ID or by completing and returning the paper questionnaire helps ensure the best count of their community.
For more information, please visit the 2020 Census COVID-19 operational adjustments page at 2020census.gov/en/news-events/operational-adjustments-covid-19.html

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