New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Monday extended a shutdown in the state until April 29 in efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19.

New York is the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US, having recorded more than 130,000 cases and over 4,750 deaths.

Governor Cuomo said schools and non-essential businesses would remain closed until the end of the month as the battle against COVID-19 went on.

He called upon the state's residents to adhere to the set guidelines in order to keep themselves safe and avoid further spread of the disease.

"Now is not the time to be lax. Now is not the time to be playing Frisbee in the park. I want to be, frankly, more aggressive on the enforcement because all the anecdotal evidence is that people are violating it at a higher rate than before," Governor Cuomo said in his address.

The governor also announced a raise in the maximum fine for violating social distancing protocol from $500 to $1,000, saying: "If it's not about your life, you don't have the right to risk someone else's life."

The U.S. has recorded the biggest number of COVID-19 cases, having surpassed 337,000. Close to 9,700 deaths have been reported, with 17,727 recoveries.