It’s Christmas Eve, and youngsters all throughout the country are eagerly anticipating Santa Claus‘ arrival down the chimney to give gifts.

But where is Santa now, and when will he make his way to the United States – and, more significantly, their state? The North American Aerospace Defense Command and Google are using high-tech monitors to keep track of the big guy and his reindeer as they fly around the world, providing minute-by-minute updates on their location.

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Also, children need not be concerned about Santa’s trip plans being disrupted by the coronavirus outbreak. Dr. Anthony Fauci confirmed that he had his COVID-19 booster dose and is “okay to go” for Christmas this year.

This Christmas, NORAD will use satellites, radar, and perhaps jet jets to follow Santa. The Continental Air Defense Command, which preceded NORAD, began tracking Santa’s flight in 1955, and NORAD took over in 1958.

According to NORAD’s website,  “makes a point of checking the radar closely for indications of Santa Claus leaving the North Pole every holiday season.”

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To ensure that youngsters can trace Santa’s path, the agency runs a phone line where callers can chat with a NORAD volunteer, as well as a website and other resources.

Approximately 500 volunteers will be accepting calls at the NORAD Tracks Santa operations centre at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and another 150 volunteers will be taking calls remotely, according to NORAD. Approximately 1,500 volunteers assisted in tracking Santa’s travels in the years before the coronavirus epidemic.

According to the NORAD website, if someone wishes to set out milk and cookies in preparation for Santa’s arrival, they can send an email to [email protected] on Friday, and a NORAD staff member would relay Santa’s last known location.

Customers with an Amazon Alexa device can use the NORAD Tracks Santa ability to track Santa and his reindeer on Christmas Eve.

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Alexa may even phone Santa himself, and children can leave a voice message for him with the toys they want for Christmas.

According to Google’s website, on Christmas Eve, it will release “a tracking experience where you can follow Santa and his reindeer as they deliver presents to youngsters all across the world.”

On December 24, one can now use Google Assistant to track Santa’s location.

Since 2004, Google has been tracking Santa’s worldwide route on Christmas Eve. Santa’s first stop, they estimate, will be shortly after 10 pm local time in “far eastern Russia,” with a total voyage length of 25 hours.