200325 New York
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo prepares for a news conference at the Javits Center in New York, Tuesday, March 24, 2020, where the Army Corps of Engineers is turning the convention center into a 1,000-bed emergency hospital. Image Credit: New York Times

New York: New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Monday extended a shutdown in the epicenter of America's deadly coronavirus pandemic until near the end of the month.

Cuomo said the COVID-19 death rate in New York was "effectively flat" for the past two days but announced that schools and non-essential businesses must stay shut until April 29.

"Now is not the time to be lax," he told reporters.