Census USVI Adjusts Operations to Governor’s Stay at Home Order

Census 2020 USVI (Shutterstock photo)

Census 2020 U.S. Virgin Islands is carefully monitoring the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and following the guidance of federal and local health authorities. As a precaution, it has become necessary to adjust field and office operations in both districts, St. Thomas-St. John and St. Croix.

In response to Governor Albert Bryan Jr.’s executive order on Thursday, Aug. 13, to Stay at Home, census operations will be adjusted territorywide. The change in operations will be in effect starting at 6 a.m., Monday, Aug. 17, for the Local Census Office (LCO) office and field staff.

The U.S. Census decennial count is an essential operation mandated by the U.S. Constitution in Article 1, Section 2. Every 10 years, the census counts the population in the United States and five U.S. territories. In order to protect the health and safety of Census 2020 U.S. Virgin Islands staff and the public, operations will be modified as follows:

  1. Temporary suspension of door-to-door visits to households.

Contact Center operations will continue throughout the Stay-at-Home order. Households that have not completed their census are urged to call the contact centers in both districts at 718-2020. Please have your “notice of visit” ready to complete the census questionnaire over the phone. Customer representatives are available 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday, and noon to 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.

This modification of the Census USVI operation is subject to change. Every appropriate step will be taken in consultation with the Office of the Governor, U.S. Census Bureau Advisors, CDC and local public health authorities. Census USVI will continue to monitor this on-going situation and keep the community and the census workforce informed on the operation.