The mounting death toll from the virus outbreak in the United States had it poised on Tuesday to overtake China's grim toll of 3,300 deaths, with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo saying up to 1 million more healthcare workers were needed.

"Please come help us," he urged. Hard-hit Italy and Spain have already overtaken China and now account for more than half of the nearly 38,000 COVID-19 deaths worldwide, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University. In New York City, Cuomo and health officials warned that the crisis unfolding there is just a preview of what other US communities could soon face. New York State's death toll climbed by more than 250 people in a day Monday to more than 1,200, most of them in the city. "We've lost over one thousand New Yorkers," Cuomo said. "To me, we're beyond staggering already."