Is It Working? In big statement, New York state says social distancing slowing Coronavirus

Social distancing appears to be slowing spread of Coronavirus in New York, epicentre of America's pandemic, Goverr Andrew Cuomo has said.

In his daily update on efforts to contain deadly pandemic, Cuomo said on Wednesday that projection rates suggested hospitalisations were increasing at a slower rate than before.

" arrows are headed in right direction," he told reporters.

Cuomo said New York was still "on way up mountain" and wouldn't meet peak of declared cases for ar three weeks.

But he added that projections showed that hospitalizations were w doubling every 4.7 days as opposed to every two days as was case on Sunday.

state's almost 20 million residents have been confined to ir homes since Cuomo ordered all n-essential businesses closed on Sunday.

He said that number of confirmed infections in Westchester County, origin of New York's outbreak, had "dramatically slowed" following a two-week containment.

New York has 30,811 declared cases, up by 5,146, Cuomo said on Wednesday. Almost 18,000 of those are in New York City, which reported almost 3,000 new cases, he added.

Some 192 people have died in city, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University.

After New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said Big Apple would run out of medical supplies by end of week, Cuomo assured residents re were eugh to last more than a fortnight.

"Today, hospital, nurse, doctor can say, legitimately 'I don't have protective equipment,'" he said.

"Right w, and for foreseeable future, we have a supply. We have t yet secured supply for three weeks from w, four weeks from, w five weeks from w. But we are still shopping."

He repeated that New York's cases are projected to reach ir peak in 21 days and that state needs 30,000 ventilators by n.

He called on President Trump to introduce a "rolling deployment" whereby New York, as worst hit, receives most of country's equipment, before passing it to or states.

"Send us equipment that we need. Send us personnel. As soon as we get past our critical moment we will redeploy that equipment and personnel to next hotspot. I will personally guarantee it," Cuomo said.