Santa Clausis coming to town!As families across the globe settle in for a long winter’s nap, theNorth American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD)is tracking Santa’s sleigh and his nine reindeer (Rudolph included).Eager children awaiting Santa’s arrival can keep tabs on him — including his last stop, where he’s off to next and even how many gifts he’s delivered — as he makes his annual journey. And this year, just like last, he will be wearing a mask amid the ongoingCOVID-19 pandemicas well as his customary gloves, program manager and NORAD spokesman Preston Schlachter toldABC6.“Every household, every country is having to deal with the impact of this pandemic. Santa Claus is an icon, and he is a source of joy for a lot of people,” Schlachter said, noting that the NORAD webpage had been visited more than 3 million times even before takeoff on Friday.NORAD, an organization that watches the skies over the United States and Canada, operates from the Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and is running their highly beloved Santa tracker for its 66th year in a row.Santa Claus.GettyFamilies can follow Santa’s journey as he delivers gifts to children across the world in various ways, including on NORAD’swebsite, on Twitter, via a smartphone app or with a phone call to the toll-free line, 1-877-HI-NORAD.According to the website, the beloved Christmas tradition began in 1955 when a local newspaper ad misprinted Santa’s phone number and instead gave out the direct line to Air Force Col. Harry Shoup at the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center in Colorado Springs.Shoup played the part as best he could before enlisting a duty officer to help answer the children’s questions throughout the night. Then, when NORAD was formed three years later to help protect the airspace over North America, they continued the holiday tradition of tracking Father Christmas.Hundreds of volunteers normally take calls on the NORAD Santa tracking hotline on Christmas Eve, but this year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, a smaller group of people will be answering the call to provide updates on Santa’s location in an effort to limit the spread of the respiratory illness, per apress releasefrom the organization.Santa Clause at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.gettyCallers who cannot reach one of those volunteers will instead receive a recorded update on Santa’s current location.And for those children alarmed about letting Santa into their homes amid the COVID-19 pandemic — have no fear!Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.In addition to wearing a mask, the beloved figure has been vaccinated and received a booster shot, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, toldUSA Todayearlier this month.“Santa already has great innate immunity," he told the outlet. “This year he is even more protected because he has been fully vaccinated and boosted. Santa will be just fine and is good to go!”
Santa Clausis coming to town!
As families across the globe settle in for a long winter’s nap, theNorth American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD)is tracking Santa’s sleigh and his nine reindeer (Rudolph included).
Eager children awaiting Santa’s arrival can keep tabs on him — including his last stop, where he’s off to next and even how many gifts he’s delivered — as he makes his annual journey. And this year, just like last, he will be wearing a mask amid the ongoingCOVID-19 pandemicas well as his customary gloves, program manager and NORAD spokesman Preston Schlachter toldABC6.
“Every household, every country is having to deal with the impact of this pandemic. Santa Claus is an icon, and he is a source of joy for a lot of people,” Schlachter said, noting that the NORAD webpage had been visited more than 3 million times even before takeoff on Friday.
NORAD, an organization that watches the skies over the United States and Canada, operates from the Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and is running their highly beloved Santa tracker for its 66th year in a row.
Santa Claus.Getty
Families can follow Santa’s journey as he delivers gifts to children across the world in various ways, including on NORAD’swebsite, on Twitter, via a smartphone app or with a phone call to the toll-free line, 1-877-HI-NORAD.
According to the website, the beloved Christmas tradition began in 1955 when a local newspaper ad misprinted Santa’s phone number and instead gave out the direct line to Air Force Col. Harry Shoup at the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center in Colorado Springs.
Shoup played the part as best he could before enlisting a duty officer to help answer the children’s questions throughout the night. Then, when NORAD was formed three years later to help protect the airspace over North America, they continued the holiday tradition of tracking Father Christmas.
Hundreds of volunteers normally take calls on the NORAD Santa tracking hotline on Christmas Eve, but this year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, a smaller group of people will be answering the call to provide updates on Santa’s location in an effort to limit the spread of the respiratory illness, per apress releasefrom the organization.
Santa Clause at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.getty
Callers who cannot reach one of those volunteers will instead receive a recorded update on Santa’s current location.
And for those children alarmed about letting Santa into their homes amid the COVID-19 pandemic — have no fear!
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
In addition to wearing a mask, the beloved figure has been vaccinated and received a booster shot, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, toldUSA Todayearlier this month.
“Santa already has great innate immunity,” he told the outlet. “This year he is even more protected because he has been fully vaccinated and boosted. Santa will be just fine and is good to go!”
Ally Mauch
source: people.com
