Good News -- NORAD will Still be Tracking Santa this year

[CalMeacham]

Coronavirus Pandemic Won’t Stop NORAD From Tracking Santa This Year

Children of the world can rest easy. The global pandemic won’t stop them from tracking Santa Claus’ progress as he delivers gifts around the globe on Christmas Eve.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command has announced that NORAD will track Santa on Dec. 24, just as it has done for 65 years. But there will be some changes: Not every child will be able to get through to a volunteer at NORAD’s call center to check on Santa’s whereabouts, as they have in years before.

Normally, 150-160 volunteers crowd into a conference room at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, taking two-hour shifts to answer the phones as eager children call to see if Santa and his sleigh have reached their rooftops. All together, 1,500 people over 20 hours have participated in the call center in the past, fielding more than 130,000 phone calls, beginning at 6 a.m. Eastern time on Christmas Eve.

This year, due to safety restrictions forced by the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of volunteers has been drastically cut to what NORAD expects will be fewer than 10 people per shift.

I’m glad they’re being safe, and keeping up the tradition.

I just hope The Big Guy is using hand sanitizer between visits, and is keeping his mask on throughout.

Even Santa Magic is no match for COVID. And he has to be at high risk, given his age.

TIDINGS OF JOY: Coronavirus Pandemic Won't Stop NORAD From Tracking Santa...

Hermey shoulda gone into Epidemic Response instead of Dentistry.

[Si_Amigo]

@CalMeacham

Even Santa Magic is no match for COVID. And he has to be at high risk, given his age.

And his weight . Most likely also diabetic from all those cookies he eats.

[panache45]

@Si_Amigo

And his weight . Most likely also diabetic from all those cookies he eats.

Not to mention his age and weight.

I do hope they’ve worked out the wonky bugs from last year, causing Santa to ride over huge abysses and cliffs.

[markn_1]

Santa had better wear a mask this year. Visiting nearly every house in the world, he could be a major transmission vector.

[CalMeacham]

Santa had better wear a mask this year. Visiting nearly every house in the world, he could be a major transmission vector.

… as I said in the OP

I just hope The Big Guy is using hand sanitizer between visits, and is keeping his mask on throughout.

[CoconutPete]

Sorry Santa, no kissing Mommy this year!

[BigT]

Santa has had a cold before–it’s why he couldn’t go out one year. So he does seem suceptible to diseases. However, since he’s immortal, it doesn’t seem he can die from them. He also travels everywhere in 24 hours, and is only there for less than a second in each house and goes nowhere near any of the other humans, so he is so unlikely to both have incubated and spread the virus to anyone/

So as long as he quarantines when he gets back, staying away from any humans and possibly elves for a couple weeks (or after symptoms subside), he’s likely to be fine.