Photos: Santa Claus maintains social distance amid COVID-19 outbreak

Dana Friedman poses for a portrait with a family through a window at the Bay Terrace Shopping Center in Queens, New York City.

A man dressed as Santa Claus rappels from a cable car while descending from the Pao de Acucar Mountain (Sugar Loaf Mountain) during his arrival to a Christmas event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

A girl visits a man dressed as Santa Claus inside an old cable car at Urca Hill near Pao de Acucar Mountain (Sugar Loaf Mountain) during a Christmas event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Children greet a person dressed as Santa Claus from inside a vehicle in a drive-thru Christmas village, amid the coronavirus outbreak, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

Dana Friedman, a trial lawyer who has spent 6 months of each year growing out his beard for his annual appearances as Santa Claus since 2001, adjusts his mask before greeting a child at the Bay Terrace Shopping Center in Queens, New York City.

Panchito Vicente, 2, is reflected in plexiglass as he visits Santa Claus, Ray Hamlett, 74, at the Citadel Outlet mall in Commerce, California.

A person dressed as a Santa Claus meets with children while sitting in a "Santa Claus bubble" as he opens Christmas season at Aalborg Zoo, amid the coronavirus outbreak, in Aalborg, Denmark.

A child interacts by video with a man who goes by "Santa Claus Edi Noel" at NorteShopping mall amid the coronavirus outbreak, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Janos Nemes, dressed as Santa Claus, interacts with children by video in a photo studio in Budapest, Hungary.

Issa Kassissieh, wearing a Santa Claus costume, holds a scroll as he poses for a picture while sitting next to a Christmas tree on a salt formation in the Dead Sea, in an event organised by Israel's tourism ministry, as Israel gears up for the holiday season near Ein Bokeq, Israel.

An assistant helps Pal Pillmayer, dressed as Santa Claus, as he prepares to interact with children by video chat, amid the coronavirus outbreak in Budapest, Hungary.

Artists of the Moscow residence of Father Frost perform for children with disabilities in Moscow, Russia.

A student trains with a computer and webcam in the Grotto at the Ministry of Fun Santa School, as it develops an online app for children to speak with Santa during the Christmas season, as the continuation of the coronavirus pandemic means most in-person Santa's Grotto experiences will have to be cancelled, London, Britain.