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U.S. NEWS Thursday 2 april 2020
Census Day arrives with US almost paralyzed by coronavirus

Continued from Front raise awareness about the Groups are switching to di- dents, the center survey the coronavirus may pre-
2020 census. gital efforts to get out the found. sent a distorted picture of
“We are laser-focused Experts say connecting word. On Wednesday, the Most of the census takers where people are living on
on the statute’s Dec. 31 with trusted community activist group, Faith in Ac- won’t be sent out until late Census Day. Some people
deadline for apportion- leaders in person is the tion, was holding a Twitter May to knock on the doors have left their usual resi-
ment counts and popula- best way to reach people chat to encourage peop- of homes where people dences to move back in
tion counts. We will con- in hard-to-count groups le to fill out their census haven’t yet answered the with parents or elderly rela-
tinue to assess all of our that may be wary of the forms, and Census Bureau questions online, by telep- tives, escaped to vacation
operations to see if there federal government. deputy director Ron Jar- hone or by mailing back a homes or had to move be-
are any changes that “There is the issue of at- min was heading to Reddit paper questionnaire. Until cause they couldn’t pay
need to be made,” Mi- tention. Certainly when to spread the word. Com- then, the Census Bureau rent due to lost jobs during
chael Cook, chief of the folks are anxious about the cast NBCUniversal and Te- is pushing people to ans- the pandemic, they said.
Public Information Office public health issue, and lemundo on Wednesday wer the questions so they Urban Institute researchers
at the U.S. Census Bureau, kids are away from school, unveiled census public ser- won’t have anyone knoc- said the Census Bureau
said Tuesday. and they’re being away vice announcements star- king on their doors in late needs more processing
The head count started from work, it’s a concern ring TV hosts Joy Reid and spring and summer. time to identify duplicate
in late January in rural, that the census isn’t on top Jose Diaz-Balart, and said As of Monday, more than responses and offer ad-
native villages in Alaska, of people’s mind as you it was providing $2 million 36% of households had ditional guidelines about
but the rest of the country would want it to be,” said in grants and in-contribu- already answered the how people should res-
wasn’t able to start ans- Thomas Saenz, president tions kind to community questions, and the Census pond when the traditional
wering the questionnaire of the Mexican American groups in hard-to-count Bureau reported this week recommendation to ans-
until the second week of Legal Defense and Educa- areas. that 40,300 temporary wer where you are living
March when the Census tional Fund. Two surveys by the Pew workers were on the pay- on April 1 is no longer clear
Bureau’s self-response The U.S. Census Bureau is Research Center suggest roll as of mid-March. for some. They’re asking
website went live and spending $500 million on the messaging was rea- that the Dec. 31 dead-
people received notices outreach efforts, including ching an audience — at The 2020 census will help line be postponed, which
in the mail that they could advertising, and it’s rely- least before the corona- determine how many con- would require an act of
start answering the ques- ing on more than 300,000 virus outbreak. Pew con- gressional seats and Elec- Congress.
tions. But that was only a nonprofits, businesses, lo- ducted two surveys, one in toral College votes each “There’s no way reliable
week before many gover- cal governments and ci- early January and another state gets, as well as the counts are going to be
nors and mayors started is- vic groups to encourage in late February and early distribution of some $1.5 generated by the end of
suing stay-at-home orders participation in their com- March. During that time, trillion in federal spending. December,” said Robert
to slow the virus’s spread, munities. Those outreach those who had seen or Researchers at the Ur- Santos, vice president
greatly hindering in-person efforts have been ham- heard something about ban Institute worry that and chief methodologist
rallies, meetings and door- strung by the nationwide the census grew from half changed accommoda- at the Urban Institute. “It’s
knocking by activists to shutdown. to two-thirds of respon- tions made in response to implausible.”q

Coast Guard: Cruise ships must stay at sea with sick onboard

By FREIDA FRISARO and sued in a March 29 safety Andrea Anderson, stuck
ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON bulletin signed by Coast with her husband Rob on
Associated Press Guard Rear Admiral E.C. the Zaandam, coughed
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) Jones, whose district in- her way through a phone
— The U.S. Coast Guard cludes Florida, Georgia, interview. Asked what she
has directed all cruise ships South Carolina and Puerto would say to Florida's gov-
to prepare to treat any sick Rico. ernor, she said, “How would
passengers and crew on Dozens of cruise ships are he feel if his mother was
board while being seques- either lined up at Port Mi- on this ship? Would he still
tered “indefinitely" offshore ami and Port Everglades be saying, 'no they can't
during the coronavirus or waiting offshore due to dock?'”
pandemic. the coronavirus pandem- Cruise ships are docked at PortMiami, Tuesday, March 31, 2020, Under normal conditions,
The new rules require daily ic. Most have only crew in Miami. when a passenger or crew
updates on each ship's aboard, but Carnival Corp., (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) Associated Press member become too ill for
coronavirus caseload for which owns nine cruise lines is coming, too, with what on the Zaandam's coro- the ship's medical team
vessels in U.S. waters, and with a total of 105 ships, no- that ship's medical center navirus caseload. “Just to care for, they call the
come with a stiff warning: tified the SEC Tuesday that called a higher than nor- to drop people off at the Coast Guard to provide a
Any foreign-flagged vessels it has more than 6,000 pas- mal number of people with place where we're hav- medical evacuation to an
“that loiter beyond U.S. ter- sengers still at sea, on three flu-like symptoms. ing the highest number of onshore hospital. Under the
ritorial seas" should try first ships that will soon arrive Two of four deaths on the cases right now just doesn't new rules, sick passengers
to medically evacuate the in Fort Civitavecchia, Italy, Zaandam were blamed on make a whole lot of sense," would be sequestered in-
very sick to those countries and Southampton, Eng- COVID-19 and nine people DeSantis said. definitely on board.
instead. land, as well as Fort Lauder- have tested positive for President Donald Trump For most people, the virus
Many of South Florida's dale. the novel coronavirus, the said later that he would causes mild or moderate
cruise ships are registered Federal, state and local company said. At least 190 speak with his fellow Re- symptoms, such as fever
in the Bahamas, where hos- officials have been nego- more reported symptoms. publican. “They're dying on and cough, that clear up
pital capacity is limited and tiating over whether Car- More than 300 Americans the ship,” Trump said. “I'm in two to three weeks. For
people are still recovering nival's Holland America are on Zaandam and Rot- going to do what's right. some, especially older
from last year's Hurricane cruise ships, the Zaandam terdam. Not only for us, but for hu- adults and people with
Dorian. and Rotterdam, would be Florida Gov. Ron DeSan- manity.” existing health problems, it
The rules, which apply to allowed to dock at Port Ev- tis said Tuesday that the Passengers expressed their can cause more severe ill-
any vessel carrying more erglades this week. But the state's healthcare system frustrations to The Associ- ness, including pneumonia
than 50 people, were is- company's Coral Princess is stretched too thin to take ated Press on Wednesday. and death.q