Passenger with face mask is seen in a metro train in Manhattan of New York, the US, on March 4. Photo: Xinhua

The US state of New York will set up a containment area in a COVID-19 hotspot and send the National Guard into it to help contain the virus, state Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Tuesday.

On a press conference, Cuomo said that National Guard troops will be sent to New Rochelle, Westchester County, to help clean surfaces and deliver food in the area.

The containment area will be within one-mile-radius around a point near a synagogue, in which schools, houses of worships and other large gathering places will be closed for two weeks.

New Rochelle is at the center of an COVID-19 outbreak in Westchester County, which is just outside New York City and currently has 108 confirmed cases.

It is also home to the state's second confirmed case, an attorney who worked in Manhattan and is linked to dozens of cases diagnosed during the past week.

"It is a dramatic action, but it is the largest cluster of cases in the country," said Cuomo. "The numbers are going up unabated, and we do need a special public health strategy for New Rochelle."

Over 170 cases have been reported in New York state, with the lion's share clustered in Westchester County.