With COVID still creating havoc with life as we knew it, there was a strong possibility that Santa wouldn’t be able to deliver on Christmas Eve. In early December, I spoke with Santa on Zoom to see if he planned to make his rounds this year with so many border restrictions, new variants of the coronavirus, and all the required protocols necessary to travel anywhere let alone all around the world.

But Santa assured me that he had been working very hard to put plans in place to meet all the restrictions and still get to all the children around the world to deliver his presents. To not do so would be devastating. He told me he had contacted both government and health authorities all over the world to see what they required for Santa to enter their country, and he assured me he would be able to meet these requirements.

It hasn’t been easy for Santa to accomplish the necessary steps to travel the world, along with all the work he must do with the help of his elves to get all the presents together. And he must also be certain his reindeer are ready as well.

Some of the safety procedures he presented to authorities include:

¯ Proof that Santa is fully vaccinated.

¯ Isolating at his location at the North Pole two weeks before Christmas Eve, which is easy as it includes only Santa, Mrs. Claus, and his elves.

¯ Getting a negative COVID test within 72 hours of Christmas Eve.

¯ Like last year, making deliveries after all are asleep, to reduce the chance of encountering anyone in the homes he visits, especially children and elderly persons.

¯ Wearing a facemask whenever entering anyone’s home.

¯ Giving Rudolph extra electrolytes to increase the brightness of his red nose, which alerts drivers to pull over and give Santa the right-of-way.

¯ Assuring authorities that he would respect social distancing should he encounter anyone still up when he makes his rounds.

¯ Adding an extra section on his sleigh to carry plenty of hand sanitizer to disinfect after every stop, and extra facemasks — he’ll use a new one after visits to a predetermined number of homes.

¯ He also had to assure authorities that despite the extra time required for proper COVID protocols, he still could make his rounds without speeding.

The Franklin County Traffic Safety Board is pleased with Santa’s plans for a safe delivery on Christmas Eve. We sure wish all drivers would do the same before they head out in their vehicles.

To everyone, from the members of the Traffic Safety Board, have a merry, merry Christmas; and hopefully 2022 will be a big improvement over 2020 and 2021. Stay safe!