New York City this week began releasing older inmates at low risk of reoffending as the coronavirus hit the notorious Rikers Island complex and nearby jails, infecting dozens.

New Jersey officials Tuesday revealed plans to release nearly 500 inmates serving sentences of a year or less for low-level crimes.

Pennsylvania prison officials in the Lehigh Valley and at the state level weren't immediately ready to follow suit, but have detailed to lehighvalleylive.com some of the steps being taken to prevent an outbreak from taking hold.

“It’s like an approaching tsunami. Once it hits, it’s too late,” said James Pingeon, an attorney with Prisoners’ Legal Services of Massachusetts. “I get that opening the doors of all the prisons is not realistic, but we should release as many that it’s safe to release in order to avoid a situation like the one at Rikers.”

Here's a look at what's being done to protect inmates, corrections officers and other staff and their families in Pennsylvania.

The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections on Wednesday extended through April 10 the suspension of all inmate visitation.

The department initially suspended all visits and began enhanced screenings at all of its prisons on March 13. State prisons have implemented video visitation and are providing inmates with additional free phone calls and emails.

Neither state prison officials nor the county prisons in the Lehigh Valley have reported any confirmed cases of the COVID-19 illness caused by the novel coronavirus.

“We are closely monitoring our entire system and individual facilities daily,” state Corrections Secretary John E. Wetzel said in a statement. “We are taking necessary steps to protect our employees and our inmates.

“Our dedicated team of 16,000 men and women began working toward mitigating this virus’ impact on our system several months ago, and during these difficult times, these employees have continued to report to work to ensure public safety.”

You can find the state’s full list of preventative measures at cor.pa.gov.

At the county level, The Morning Call reported officials in both Lehigh and Northampton counties were looking at bail modifications to release a limited number of suspects being held on charges. Those reported talks come as Berks County Jail released nearly five dozen non-violent inmates in an effort to prevent an outbreak, according to WFMZ-TV 69.

Asked to comment this week on calls to thin the local prison populations, Lehigh and Northampton county representatives instead pointed to efforts to keep the virus out of the cell walls.

In Lehigh County, those measures include the suspension effective March 13 of all non-essential visitors and volunteers. In addition, inmates have two free calls they can make and an additional two more free calls will be available to them shortly, county spokeswoman Laura Grammes said.

Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley is among those calling for a closer look at efforts to reduce the population at the county jail, including releasing some suspects held in lieu of bail as they await trial, as well as medically frail inmates who are at high risk of serious complications from the coronavirus and older inmates approaching the end of their sentence.

As controller, Pinsley is the county's financial watchdog and tasked with shining a light on potential liabilities, his office said in a news release. He argues that prisons are highly contagious facilities, given the close proximity of prisoners and difficulties in practicing social distancing.

In Northampton County, corrections officials as of March 3 instructed staff to avoid close contact with sick people, to wash their hands frequently and avoid touching their face -- all measures the general public can take in preventing exposure to the coronavirus.

In addition, the county says, hand sanitizer stations are stationed throughout the prison; any employee showing signs of illness will be directed to check in with their personal physician and may be instructed to stay home if their health is suspect; and inmates are being encouraged to continue their daily hygiene routines as well as the mandatory laundry exchange of their linens.

In further changes since March 3, everyone entering Northampton County Prison has their temperature checked and anyone showing a temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher is barred from entry.

"Currently, the only people allowed to enter are attorneys, spiritual advisors and court-appointed personnel," county Deputy Administration Director Becky Bartlett said in an email Wednesday. And that's only if they aren't febrile, she noted.

All inmates who enter the prison are isolated before being transferred into general population, she added. This period has been extended from three days to up to 14 days. If they show signs of illness, the inmates are kept in quarantine until they recover.

Symptoms of a COVID-19 infection including fever, cough and shortness of breath are showing up anywhere from two to 14 days, according to health officials.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

For more information on the coronavirus, consult your state health department at health.pa.gov or covid19.nj.gov and the website of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether it’s a news tip, a topic you want us to cover or a personal story you want to share.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. If there’s anything about this story that needs attention, please email him. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.