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A26 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 29 July 2020
Experts worry about errors if census schedule is sped up

By MIKE SCHNEIDER would push back the ap-
Associated Press portionment deadline to
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — After April 30 and the redistrict-
asking for coronavirus-re- ing deadline for state and
lated deadline extensions local districts to July 31.
in April, the Trump adminis- If the deadline extension
tration now appears to be for the apportionment
abandoning that request numbers is granted by
by asking Congress for ex- Congress, there's a chance
tra funding to wrap up the the final months of the da-
2020 census "as quickly, ta-crunching would take
and safely as possible" in a place under a new ad-
move that could help en- ministration if presumptive
sure the number-crunching Democratic presidential
for redrawing congressio- nominee Joe Biden defeats
nal districts takes place on Trump, a Republican, in the
President Donald Trump's November election.
watch. Wary of what they see as
Census Bureau officials had Trump's attempts to politi-
warned as recently as early cize the 2020 census, House
July that it was already too Democrats say Senate Re-
late to have the numbers publicans should approve
ready without an exten- the request for deadline
sion. And outside experts The sun sets beyond downtown Kansas City, Mo., Saturday, June 27, 2020. extensions.
predicted Tuesday that Associated Press "Otherwise, American tax-
speeding up the timetable haven't yet answered the tensions as part of corona- "This flexibility is critical to payers would be forced to
would lead to an inaccu- questionnaire. virus-relief legislation, but helping the Census Bureau pay for the most expensive
rate head count that miss- With the new coronavi- the Republican-controlled operate in the midst of un- and potentially least accu-
es people in hard-to-count rus disrupting census op- Senate has yet to do so. precedented public health rate census in our nation's
minority communities. erations in April, the Trump Senate Republicans on crisis, including trying to history," said U.S. Rep. Car-
"It would be like giving an administration asked Con- Monday instead proposed wrap up field data collec- olyn Maloney, a Democrat
expectant mother in the gress to extend the dead- an additional $448 million in tion as quickly, and safely from New York who chairs
early stages of pregnancy lines required for the U.S. funding for the 2020 census as possible, while ensuring the House Committee on
a lot of money to have the Census Bureau to turn in in its coronavirus-relief bill. a complete and accurate Oversight and Reform.
baby in 4.5 months," said the head count data used "This funding would allow count. " Earlier this month, House
John Thompson, a former for redrawing congressio- for additional hiring, staff- Historically, the Census Bu- Democrats asked U.S.
Census Bureau director in nal district and legislative ing resources, and replen- reau is required to turn over Commerce Secretary Wil-
the Obama administration. districts. The Census Bureau ished contingency funding numbers for apportion- bur Ross to withdraw two
The Census Bureau is in the also postponed finishing to provide schedule flex- ment, the process of divvy- appointees from top posi-
middle of the 2020 census, field operations for the 2020 ibility as the Census Bureau ing up congressional seats, tions at the U.S. Census Bu-
and some of the bureau's census from the end of July conducts its largest field by Dec. 31, and the num- reau, claiming they repre-
500,000 door-knockers to the end of October. operation, nonresponse fol- bers used for redrawing sented the latest effort by
started heading out this The Democratic-controlled lowup," the Census Bureau legislative districts by March the Trump administration to
month to households that House agreed to the ex- said Monday on its website. 30. The deadline extensions politicize the 2020 census.q

Can you get the coronavirus twice?

The Associated Press remnants of the original lished last week also found
Can you get the coronavi- infection. There's also the the antibodies that fight
rus twice? chance tests could have the coronavirus may only
Scientists don't know for been false positives. last a few months in peo-
sure yet, but they believe Scientists say there has ple with mild illness, sug-
it's unlikely. been no documented gesting people could be-
Health experts think peo- instance of a patient come susceptible again.
ple who had COVID-19 spreading the virus to oth- But antibodies aren't the
will have some immunity ers after retesting positive. only defense against a vi-
against a repeat infection. With similar viruses, studies rus, and the other parts of
But they don't know how have shown that people the immune system could
much protection or how could fall sick again three also help provide protec-
long it would last. months to a year after tion.
There have been reports of their first infections. It's still Settling the question of
people testing positive for too early to know whether whether reinfection is pos-
the virus weeks after they that's also possible with the sible is important. If it can
were believed to have re- coronavirus. occur, that could under-
covered, leading some to "It's very much emerging mine the idea of "immu-
Nurse Kathe Olmstead, right, gives volunteer Melissa Harting, think they may have been science," said Dr. Philip nity passports" for returning
of Harpersville, N.Y., an injection as the world's biggest study reinfected. More likely, Landrigan, director of the back to workplaces. And
of a possible COVID-19 vaccine, developed by the National experts say people were global public health pro- it would not bode well for
Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc., gets underway Monday, suffering from the same ill- gram at Boston College. hopes of getting a long-
July 27, 2020, in Binghamton, N.Y.
Associated Press ness or the tests detected A small U.S. study pub- lasting vaccine.q