Children's visits with Santa Claus are going virtual - to protect both them and the men in high-risk groups who dress up as old St Nick. Joe Harkins, like many of his brothers-in-red, has taken his winter gig online, opting to swap in-person visits for virtual ones. Some believe the virtual visits will still appeal to families even after the pandemic is behind us. As the pandemic rages, children's visits with Santa Claus are going virtual - to protect both them and the men in high-risk groups who dress up as old St Nick. "I'm not fooling around with the pandemic," said Joe Harkins, an 87-year-old Santa from Jersey City, New Jersey. "I'm not going to risk my life for any family or public events. It's just too risky."