In a Wednesday interview with MSNBC’s Chris Hayes, Cardona said the rate of COVID-19 transmission in a community would play a role in determining whether K-12 students will receive face-to-face instruction. Hayes pressed Cardona for the Education Department’s stance on whether remote learning should continue at the start of the 2021-2022 school year.

“It’s premature to tell,” Cardona said. “One thing I know as a former commissioner of education, COVID-19 numbers will dictate how we move to reopen schools. So it’s not just about what’s happening in the schools. It’s about what’s happening in the community.”