FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                        May 30, 2020  
   
  
Census 2020 USVI Resumes June 1  
Census Workers Need Your Support  
   
(Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas and Christiansted, St. Croix) -    The St. Thomas, St. John and St. 
Croix offices of Census 2020 US Virgin Islands will reopen on June 1. Data collection will resume at 
that time, with census takers visiting neighborhoods to list homes and conduct in-person 
interviews.  
   
Our number one priority is the health and safety of the public and the Census 2020 USVI staff. 
“We live in this community. We know how anxious our neighbors are because of the 
coronavirus,” said Dr. Frank Mills, manager of the St. Thomas/St. John office of Census 2020 USVI. 
“Notwithstanding, we at the 2020 Census of the U.S. Virgin Islands must safely do our best to get 
an accurate count of the people who live in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The future of our community – 
for the next 10 years – is dependent upon the data that we collect.”  
   
With guidance from public health experts, Census 2020 USVI staff have been trained to follow 
CDC and local health guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Census takers are not required to 
enter your home. They can conduct the interviews in an open space while remaining 6 feet apart. 
For the safety of the public, and our field workers, staff have been issued Personal Protective 
Equipment (PPE), such as masks and hand sanitizers. No physical contact with a Census taker is 
required.  
   
During the Census 2020 USVI data collection operation, Census takers will visit every location 
where people live or stay to conduct in-person interviews using a paper questionnaire. The USVI 
Census form is a more detailed questionnaire than stateside. The purpose of this “long form” is to 
collect detailed social, economic, and housing characteristics of the U.S. Virgin Islands.  
   
Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, if a respondent is unwilling to participate in a face-to-face 
interview, an option to complete the form by telephone will be possible. Respondents must wait 
until their housing unit has been identified and listed, and a Notice of Visit has been provided. 
Geographic information from the Notice of Visit is needed for the telephone option.   
  
The 2020 Census is mandated by the U.S. Constitution in Article 1, Section 2. The 2020 Census 
counts the population in the United States and five U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, American Samoa, 
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands).  
Your response matters! Census results help determine how 
billions of dollars in federal funding are distributed to 
communities throughout the U.S. each year.  The data we 
collect is kept confidential.  By law, it is used for statistical 
purposes only.  
                                               (Page 1 of 2) 
 
Census 2020 USVI Reopens     Page 2        
 
  
Do your part. Support the Census by providing information about your household. The USVI counts!  
  
For more information or to inquire about Census job opportunities, please contact the local Census 
USVI offices on St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix at (340) 718-2020.  
 
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Media Inquiries: 
Patrice K. Johnson, Partnership Specialist 
Census 2020 USVI, St. Thomas/St. John 
(340) 693-2278 
(340) 514-3307 mobile 
 
Karen D. Williams, Partnership Specialist 
Census 2020 USVI, St. Croix 
(340) 712-0590