More than 100,000 people in Ohio could have coronavirus, according to a top health official in the state who blamed a lack of testing kits for uncertainty around the figure.

Dr Amy Acton, Ohio Department of Health's director of health, told reporters at a press conference on Friday that it was estimated that one percent of the state's population was likely to have COVID-19.

"We know now, just the fact of community spread, says that at least one percent, at the very least, one percent of our population is carrying this virus in Ohio today," Dr Acton said. "We have 11.7 million people. So the math is over 100,000.

"So that just gives you a sense of how this virus spreads and is spreading quickly."