Read It: NYC Principals Told To Prep For Coronavirus Closures

NEW YORK CITY — Principals citywide late Thursday opened their email inboxes to read a stark but not unexpected instruction: prepare for a potential temporary switch to all-remote learning.

The email from Chancellor Richard Carranza outlines New York City's recent "elevated rates of COVID-19 transmission" — a level which is nearing the city's 3 percent average positivity threshold for shutting down schools.

"Out of an abundance of caution, and to keep our school communities safe, I am asking all schools to be prepared for a brief time of fully remote learning, system-wide," Carranza wrote. "And while no decision has been made about a system-wide transition to remote learning, as every great school leader knows, we must be prepared for every scenario."

Carranza's email follows Mayor Bill de Blasio's recent public acknowledgement that a citywide school closure could be imminent if coronavirus rates reach the 3 percent mark.

Roughly 300,000 students have returned to in-person classrooms, making New York City the largest school district nationwide to reopen amid the pandemic.

Coronavirus testing levels have remained very low in the city's schools, even as the rate citywide rose and prompted fears the dreaded "second wave" is here. The city's most recently reported rate, as of Friday morning, was 2.6 percent over a seven-day average, according to data.

Carranza's letter states the city will continue to offer blended learning — a mix of in-person and remote instruction — as long as it is safe and healthy. He also emphasized that a switch to fully remote learning likely would be temporary.