The 2020 census got off to a strong start in January, when census workers started the population count in rural Toksook Bay, Alaska.

Things got a little shaky in March, when the U.S. Census Bureau began sending survey invitations to households. Fieldwork operations were suspended March 18 because of the coronavirus pandemic, three days after bureau workers began delivering census materials by hand.

Wednesday marked a return-to-work for many census workers, specifically those in the Cranberry Township Area Census Office.

“There are several phases to the census,” said Susan Licate, a media specialist for the census bureau. “This (phase) is known as Update Leave.”

Update Leave is for areas where a majority of home units don't have mail delivered to their address or delivery information can't be verified. When it comes to the census, hand distribution replaces traditional mail delivery.

“The census bureau does not mail census invitations to P.O. boxes,” Licate said. “Each census response needs to be associated with the physical location where people live, not where they receive mail.”

About 47,600 households in Western Pennsylvania will receive questionnaires in the following weeks. These fall within the Cranberry census office's 15-county jurisdiction.

“We have 103 enumerators and 16 field supervisors ready to ensure everyone in Cranberry Township is counted,” Licate said.

More than 2,500 Butler County households will receive a paper questionnaire as part of Update Leave. This phase of the census will run through July 9. Licate said an estimated 5 percent of households are accounted for during Update Leave.

A May 8 news release from the census bureau indicated temporary field staff is trained in social distancing procedures and will conduct assignments in personal protective equipment provided by the government.

Operations will follow the “most current federal health and safety guidelines,” according to the release.

To ease citizens' minds, the bureau touts the fact that questionnaire distribution is contactless.

“The census worker will not knock on your door or ask to come in your home,” Licate said. “Census workers are simply delivering a form to the doorstep of the household.”

More than half of American households have responded to the 2020 census, according to the bureau's website. Pennsylvania's self-response rate was 61.6 percent as of Monday.

Currently, Butler County's self-response rate was 68.5 percent. Of those responses, 57.6 percent were issued online. Butler County's 2010 self-response rate was 73.8 percent.

“We ask that folks respond to their census when one is delivered,” Licate said. “Responding sooner rather than later will reduce the need for follow-up visits.”

The overall distribution of questionnaires to households in Update Leave is roughly 5.1 million. Census data helps direct billions of dollars in government funding and contributes to the drawing of congressional districts.

The 2020 census is still scheduled to make the mandated Dec. 31 deadline for reporting to the president and Congress, Licate said.

“The deadline to deliver data to the president has not changed,” Licate said. “We encourage everyone to respond now.”

Still, Licate said timelines this year are fluid. They may change to follow federal, state and local guidelines.

The bureau continues to encourage citizens to respond to the 2020 census online or by phone, if not by submitting the survey via mail. Using the ID number included in each questionnaire packet helps the bureau to establish the best count.

As conditions now stand, citizens can complete and submit their census questionnaires through Oct. 31. A Response Rate map on the census bureau's website is updated daily to show citizens how well areas are responding.

Licate said no one person, business or organization can be identified on the map. The census is a private process.

“All responses are confidential, stripped of any personal identifying information and protected by law,” Licate said. “An accurate count of the population and households ultimately is what drives the proper allocation of federal funds back to the counties.”

More information is available at 2020census.gov.

The U.S. Census Bureau has adjusted 2020 operations in response to the coronavirus pandemic:Jan. 21: Population count begins in rural Alaska.March 12: Self-response begins.April 1: Census Day, so designated to determine where people are counted as of that date.April 2: Group quarter enumeration begins.May 4: Census workers begin issuing paper questionnaires to households.Aug. 11: Census workers begin interviewing citizens in person for Nonresponse Follow-up.Oct. 31: Census experts run and review program output to unduplicate responses and identify missing data.Dec. 31: As required by law, census data will be presented to President Donald Trump and Congress. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the date may be revised.May 1, 2021: Census experts begin the redistricting process.July 31, 2021: The bureau delivers local counts to states to guide redistricting.