“There’s a level of urgency that we shouldn’t lose in making sure our children learn in person,” he said to host Trace Gallagher on “Fox News Sunday,” saying the pandemic has proved how difficult remote learning was for all concerned.

“We’ve been very clear: Our expectation is for schools to be open full-time for students for in-person learning,” Cardona told Gallagher. “We remember the impact of school closures on students last year, and our science is better.“

The Omicron variant has led to a surge in Covid cases throughout the nation. Cardona acknowledged that in the coming weeks, last-minute staffing shortages caused by the pandemic could cause some short-term school closures.

“I do think there will be bumps in the road, especially tomorrow,” he said.