Republican Sen. Robert Ortt, in a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday, urged more protective measures be put in place for corrections officers in the state's prisons.

Ortt in the letter called for expanded availability of personal protective equipment, like masks, for corrections officers.

“The density of correctional facilities makes them a highly contagious environment, and keeping our law enforcement officers safe should be a top priority during an outbreak of an airborne communicable disease,” Ortt said. “Our corrections and parole officers’ inability to wear PPE puts both officers and inmates at risk and opens the door to the possibility of these officers bringing the virus home to their families. The state has designated them as essential; we know they’re essential; let’s treat them as essential.”

The letter comes as criminal justice advocates have urged the state to release inmates who vulnerable to infection.

On Monday, the president of the union that represents corrections officers announced he had tested positive for the virus and urged more expanded protections for workers in the state's prison facilities.