Mar 18, 2020 - Health

Census Bureau halts field operations for 2 weeks

Orion Rummler

In this image, a man and a woman sit at a table that reads "Census 2020" — Chris Worrell, right, jokes with Teresa Jefferson as he applies to work the 2020 Census at the John Tierney Learning Center in South Boston on Feb. 22. Photo: Blake Nissen for The Boston Globe via Getty Images

The U.S. Census Bureau will suspend field operations for two weeks to help fight the spread of the novel coronavirus, the agency announced Wednesday.

What's happening: Census takers are scheduled to start visiting houses to collect the information of those who have not responded in late May to complete the count, but the agency said it will follow federal and state health guidelines amid the COVID-19 pandemic and make changes as necessary.

The Census Bureau will continue counting census information while field operations are temporarily suspended.

The big picture: COVID-19 is thought to spread mainly between people who are within 6 feet of each other and through coughing and sneezing, per the CDC. Spread of the virus may be possible before symptoms are apparent.

Go deeper: This year's census may be the toughest count yet

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Census Bureau halts field operations for 2 weeks

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