New York's governor urgently appealed for medical volunteers amid a staggering number of coronavirus deaths, as he and health officials warned that the crisis unfolding in New York City is just a preview of what other US communities could soon face.

"Please come help us in New York now," Governor Andrew Cuomo said as the state's death toll climbed by more than 250 people in a day to a total of over 1,200, most of them in the city.

"We've lost over 1,000 New Yorkers,” Cuomo said. “To me, we're beyond staggering already. We've reached staggering."