roughly 30 million frontline essential workers like teachers and first responders. group 1c, 65 and older, high-risk conditions and 57 million other essential workers. but how to define the essential workers and order they're chosen is determined by each state. kaiser family foundation found as of last week 30 states were still developing criteria for the next phase. president of new york hotel trade counsel, prioritize hotel employees. >> it has transformed in the pandemic. individuals traveling from out-of-state, considered to be high risk. also converted to alternate uses, like housing covid-positive patients. >> reporter: there have been reports of people trying to pay for the vaccine.

have you experienced any of that? >> yes, absolutely. >> reporter: in private practice in beverly hills, many patients are celebrities. several dozen people have offered to pay him to cut in front for the vaccine. >> it's not ethical to me offering money to get the vaccine. people are just used to getting their way when they have privilege and wealth. >> reporter: infectious disease specialist. >> every step of the way getting proper amount and proper people most at risk vaccinated eases everything for our society, becomes closer and closer for us being able to go back to normal. >> reporter: a normal that will no doubt be new but can't come soon enough. adriana diaz, chicago. the pandemic has changed christmas traditions for just about everyone, except maybe this family in new york. last year set the guinness world

record for most holiday lights on residential property. this year topped 670,000 lights and they're not alone. jamie wax visited new orleans ♪ >> reporter: there's no snow but lovely weather for a car ride in new orleans. >> merry christmas. >> reporter: this is the long-running holiday lights festival known as celebration in the oaks. this year's display 1,116,700 lights along a 2 1/4 mile long path and first time in years it's not a walking tour but driving one. >> early on we realized what the pandemic was going to do and what the restrictions were going to be, we pivoted. >> reporter: city park ceo bob becker expects 200,000 people to

visit the festival this season. >> beautiful idea, 200,000 people sharing holiday experience that's also safe. >> give people a chance to celebrate, have a great experience, but do it safely. ♪ christmas time is here >> reporter: growing up, holiday lights in new orleans were a fixture in our traditions. i remember piling into the way, way back of the family station wagon and watching the show. you could take in the celebration from the comfort of your car. then in 2005, category 5 hurricane katrina tore through new orleans, leaving devastating in its wake. city park was annihilated. >> lost every building, most of the staff, all the equipment, 2,000 trees. >> reporter: the staff rallied to create a new tradition. in just a couple of months the

holiday was reborn for holiday revellers on foot. christmas comes with new meaning this year. >> we're resilient people, have been through a lot. understand what it means to come back, hang in there, hang tough ♪ it's coming on christmas, they're cutting down trees ♪ >> reporter: 2020 is forcing us all to become more resilient, one tradition at a time, all across america. in duluth, minnesota, the tour of lights is morphing from one of the largest walking tours in the country to a drive-through. and in texas, a decades long neighborhood lights festival that prides itself in keeping austin weird is canceled to protect the block's elderly and at-risk residents. >> i believe when we go through something, jamie, we come out of it not poorer but richer. >> reporter: beloved new

orleanian sally ann roberts knows the value of resilience. do you find value this is once again a drive-through experience? >> it's the tonic we need right now, to allow our children to experience what we experienced as children. listening to holiday music in their cars and celebrating the season, what we have. there are a lot of things we have lost but still have our loved ones. >> reporter: here it's not hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. it's everywhere. >> to still have the kids celebrate, see the smiles light up their faces despite the pandemic, it's been great. >> whole time, nonstop, mommy look at this, daddy look at this. >> this is the season of love, this is the season of family, and this is the season where we can just be grateful for what we have. and know that better days are

ahead. ♪ when it's christmas time, it's christmas time in new orleans ♪ >> jamie wax in new orleans. yo ♪ a son once returned home from afar and gave to his father a gift. it wasn't a thing of great meaning but a thing of quality and purpose. this gift was used well. over 40 years this thing of quality of purpose.

became a thing of the heart. a thing of a son. our great street, huge yard. there is a bit of an issue with our neighbors fencing. neighbor 1: allez! (sound from wind chimes) neighbor 2: (laughing) at least geico makes bundling our home and car insurance easy. which helps us save even more. neighbor 2: hey, sarah, hey, peter! neighbor 1: touché. neighbor 2: ahhh! neighbor 1: pret! neighbor 2: en garde! for bundling made easy, go to geico.com gillette proglide and proglide gel. five blades and a pivoting flexball designed to get virtually every hair on the first stroke, while washing away dirt and oil. so you're ready for the day with a clean shave and a clean face.

♪ ♪ tonight, try pure zzzs all night. unlike other sleep aids, our extended release melatonin helps you sleep longer. and longer. zzzquil pure zzzs all night. fall asleep. stay asleep. if you haven't finished your christmas shopping, you're running out of time, david pogue

has gift ideas as he channels his inner techno claus. >> reporter: good morning, dear people. it's been quite a year. the worst one that many remember i fear. the fires, the protests, the voting, i mean, we needed all that and the covid-19? it's hard to change focus to gifts, i admit, but maybe these might cheer you up just a bit. i'm here once again bringing presents for all. or at least those who like having tech to install. when winter is coming, to borrow a phrase, it dries up the air and it shortens the days. your hand gets so cold from the chill in the house, i give you pure genius, a self-heating mouse. two levels of heat and a comfortable form, at least that's one part of your body that's warm.

for technical gifts you could do a lot worse than amazon echos, machines that converse. alexa, how old is santa claus? >> santa may be old in years but he's young in spirit. >> but this one's so tiny, it takes zero space, and so cheap you can stick them all over the place. a night light, a clock, they sell add-ons you see, or just charge your phone with this here usb. it answers your questions, controls all the lights and settles all kinds of domestical fights. alexa, should you rinse your dishes before you put them in the dishwasher? >> according to fixia.com, recommends you don't wash your dishes before you put them in the dishwasher. >> how many times i got to tell her? when you go outside, you could

wear these or those or just put on audio glasses by bose. the sound from your phone comes out right by your ear, you can even take phone calls, the mics are right here. the sound is impressive, i must say i'm shocked, i even feel safer, my ears are not blocked. these young kids today, sitting glued to their screens, why can't they watch videos not on machines? check these out, they're flip books, they're your very own, produced from short clips on computer or phone. a few days thereafter they're ready to flip, so cool and old-timey, they're practically hip. on zoom calls i'll tell you what

makes me upset, these people what that look like blank silhouette, the problem's the window, i hope that person's not you, a dimmable ring of quite flattering light. on the desk it's a desk lamp and on zoom you're a star, let your colleagues find out how good looking you are. so anyway, i says to rudolph -- we all miss the movies, for that i can vouch, but i can come pretty close here on my couch. this miniscule thing's a projector. i swear! and battery powered for films anywhere. it's got all these apps or you plug in a stick. hey, i know this guy, that's my cousin st. nick. you may or may not get the gifts i've advised, there is something sweet about being surprised, but

one gift i promise you'll get my dear friend, the year 2020 will dear friend, the year 2020 will very soon end. (drumsticks rattle, feedback hums) (door closes in distance) ♪ (overlapping voices): we are producers, engineers, singers, songwriters, musicians, tour and live production crews, and thousands more of us. (male voice): without us, the music stops. (overlapping voices): we need your help (female voice): to keep the music playing. (male voice): support those impacted today at: musicares.org. we're still hard at work, because vulnerable students who already struggle with poverty, hunger and trauma, need our support more than ever. at communities in schools, we do whatever it takes. delivering meals, helping kids access remote learning and just checking in. in schools, in communities

and in times of crisis providing kids a community of support. to learn more, visit communities in schools dot org.

the pandemic has left christmas in tatters for many of us, but santa is coming to the rescue, if he can only fix the audio. steve hartman on the road. >> reporter: all through this house, not a creature was stirring, except for this mouse. as santa struggled to connect on zoom. >> here we go. >> which is why the children heard him exclaim as he came into sight -- >> can you hear me? >> nothing. >> can you hear me, t.j.? >> your call cannot be completed as dialed. it's a constant struggle to be a 2020 santa claus and i make no secret that i don't know what i'm doing. >> reporter: coronavirus has made santa long for simpler

times of parting gift candy canes. fortunately there are support groups. in these chats, technologically challenged elves help each other. >> click on the three little dots. >> reporter: for santa bob jordan, who summers outside of boston, transition from parties to virtual visits has been especially tough hill to climb. he got "zoom for dummies" which helped but you see how analog he is. yet got a web cam. >> and boom microphone and ring light. that helps. it's doable, it's going to happen. christmas is coming because you know you're going to make somebody happy. >> reporter: perhaps because of the unconditional love, christmas miracle happened. >> are you getting excited for christmas? >> yes.

>> you are! >> santa figured out zoom, as have elves across the country. >> this is so cool. >> reporter: this month will do thousands of virtual visits. >> the real santa. >> reporter: it's not the same as santa's lap. >> i miss you santa claus. >> reporter: in some ways it's better. >> i miss you too, so much, dallas. >> reporter: because if it's really the thought and effort that count. >> i love you so much. >> reporter: santa has already given us his best gift of the season. >> bye-bye now. >> reporter: steve hartman on the road at the north pole. >> bye santa. >> and that's the overnight news for this christmas eve. for some the news continues. others check back for "cbs this morning" and follow us on-line all the time at cbsnews.com. reporting from the nation's capital, i'm catherine herridge wishing you a happy and safe holiday.

it is thursday, december 24, 2020. this is the cbs morning news. presidential pardons. president trump bails out more allies. plus more on the stimulus check. >> the winter threat as we head into the holidays. >> and lockdown expanding. a new covid strain is parl liesing the uk. tougher restrictions that start tonight. good morning from cbs news headquarters in new york. i'm diane king hall in for anne-marre