seen more deaths in the pandemic.



A paramedic wheels a patient into an emergency arrival area at Elmhurst Hospital during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the Queens borough of New York City, New York, U.S., April 6, 2020. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

There was a glimmer of hope, however, in New York, the main focus of the US outbreak, where there have been more than 4,750 deaths statewide and 130,000 cases.

Governor Andrew Cuomo said Monday the death rate had been "effectively flat" for two days. The state reported 599 new deaths, similar to Sunday's tally of 594 and down from a record 630 on Saturday.

But the governor ordered schools and non-essential businesses to remain shut for a further three weeks, telling reporters: "Now is not the time to beprotective equipment outside the Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, Apr 6, 2020. (Photo: Reuters/Brendan Mcdermid)

The Wisconsin Supreme Court blocked a last-minute attempt by the governor of the midwestern state to postpone the next day's Democratic presidential primary and other elections because of the coronavirus epidemic and ruled that the vote should go ahead.

In a 4-2 decision, the top state court overturned an executive order from the Democratic Governor Tony Evers, who had sought to delay the election until June citing the threat to poll workers and voters from the virus.

Wisconsin, which is among those under stay-at-home orders, would have joined around 15 US states that have already delayed their primaries.

Evers moved to postpone the election unilaterally after the Republican-majority state Senate