CORONAVIRUS: STRONGER TOGETHER
Keeping Santa Visits Safe During The COVID-19 Pandemic
Dec 4, 2020, 8:45 PM | Updated: 8:47 pm
FARMINGTON, Utah – Christmas wouldn’t be the same without a chance for children to sit with Santa and explain their Christmas wish.
While the pandemic and social distancing have made that holiday tradition difficult, the creative people at Station Park found a way to keep Santa and visiting families safe.
Reservations are needed to keep the lines short outside and social distancing possible inside where setting up for pictures requires a plexiglass barrier to shoot through.
If that’s what it takes, Santa and Mrs. Claus will do it.
It turns out Santa is protected by COVID-19 antibodies and social distancing precautions. (Mike Anderson/KSL-TV)
“A year without doing this would feel pretty empty,” Santa said. “This is my favorite thing to do all year.”
“We have a little spot for children to sit in front so that we can have that safe visit,” he added.
Call it lucky or not, Santa and Mrs. Claus at Station Park already picked up those COVID-19 antibodies around Halloween-time.
“We were pretty miserable at the time,” Santa said. “But looking back, a blessing in disguise you know because we were kind of worried about what was going to happen and how we were going to stay safe.”
It makes sense. After all, Dr. Anthony Fauci told USA Today that Santa is exempt and he has a lot of good qualities, including immunity.
Santa’s Workshop at Station Park is still disinfected, and there are the masks and the barrier in place to keep everyone safe.
Santa’s Workshop at Station Park. (KSL-TV)
Santa does virtual visits in the morning and is available in person during the afternoon and evening.
That means children like 5-year-old Jude don’t have to give up what’s now a regular tradition.
“I think it’s great because he’s been looking forward to seeing Santa all year. And he was just talking about it. He was, ‘How are we going to see Santa with coronavirus?’ and I said, ‘Well, I’m sure they’ll come up with something,’” said Jude’s mother, Jessica Stegen.
They did. Check online before visiting your favorite mall. At Station Park, Santa needs you to make a reservation here.
In many places, Santa may not have the antibodies, so children will have to sit in front of plexiglass.
Some community spots are only placing a Santa mailbox for letters, so again, check ahead.
