A shocking picture has emerged showing a New York City subway train packed full of people last night, despite the coronavirus lockdown.

The No. 2 train, which is said to have been photographed around evening rush-hour at 6 p.m. by a member of Progressive Action, a group of New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) workers, is shown full of mask-wearing passengers crammed together unable to avoid close contact with others.

New York City is currently under a full stay-at-home lockdown, but key workers such as healthcare workers still have to travel in order to fulfill their vital roles in the battle with coronavirus, while poorer workers unable to leave their jobs still take the risk.

A picture from Progressive Action's Twitter account of the New York Subway showed the No 2 train packed on Thursday evening despite a city-wide lockdown in place to slow the coronavirus spreading

However, this is leading to scenes such as this where a number of people who have potentially been exposed to the virus are packed into subway cars to get to work, increasing the risk of infection from the coronavirus.

'This is the No. 2 train at about 6 p.m. Thursday evening, in a photo provided to Eyewitness New by Progressive Action's Twitter account,' the caption on the image shared by ABC7NY explained.

The Number 2 train was also shown packed with passengers on 31 March at the 125th street subway station in Harlem, despite the city-wide lockdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus. It doesn't appear the situation has approved since then

People are seen leaving the subway on the 31 March at the 125th street subway station. Social distancing measures are in effect to slow the spread of the coronavirus, but key workers are still required to go to work, meaning the subway is still in use by many

A man enters the subway at an entrance for the 23rd Street station on 1 April. Only key workers have been advised to travel on the transit system

'The MTA says it is running as many trains as it can, but has been hobbled because of craws that are out sick or quarantined.' The World Health Organization (WHO) advises anyone with symptoms self-quarantines for 14-days.

The post continued: 'Public health officials have said social distancing is key to slowing the spread of the deadly Covid-19, and New York remains the hardest-hit place in the nation.'

The NYC subway was photographed by the DailyMail.com on the 31 March, and the picture shared on Instagram shows the situation hasn't improved since.

Official advice suggests that people keep a distance of 6-feet from others in the event that they must leave their homes, which is clearly impossible for passengers in this packed subway train.

A sign on the walls of the New York City subway station tells people to 'stay home. Stop the spread.' It says subways are for essential workers only

Grand Central Station, on 31 March, one of New York City's normally busiest transport hubs lies virtually empty during the lockdown. Other stations are not so quiet, however

A New York Transit worker cleans the barriers to the New York City subway. The coronavirus can survive on surfaces for days after being touched by someone carrying the virus

Generally, subway use in New York, which often looks like the picture during rush-hour during normal times, has plummeted. On 30 March, the New York Times reported that ridership is down by 87 per cent.

However, particularly in poorer neighborhoods, the subway is reportedly still being used by those who feel they cannot leave their jobs and must instead risk catching the coronavirus by using the subway.

The city is taking a number of other measures to deter social gatherings, banning groups of people, taking down basketball hoops and sending in police to break up gatherings.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo gives his daily coronavirus update where he bluntly laid out the stark situation in the state. His updates have gaining international attention

Governor Cuomo shared projections which suggest coronavirus deaths could continue through the summer and into August for the state and the whole country

Yesterday, there were 8,669 new cases of coronavirus in New York, (an increase of nine percent) bringing the total to 92,381 and 432 additional deaths (an increase of eight percent) bringing the state death toll to 2,373.

The worst of the virus is yet to hit New York. Various models project different dates for it but it is expected in between seven to 30 days.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Thursday that the virus was going to then 'march across the country', wreaking havoc on rural communities just as it has in his state. He is begging for more equipment and ventilators, but says it is unclear where they will come from.

Once the state's stockpile of traditional ventilators runs out, it will start relying on the backups of improvised anesthesia and BiPap machines. Patients will also start sharing ventilators in some cases.

Healthcare workers at the Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn take a victim to the temporary morgue on Thursday

Speaking at a press conference where his brother, CNN anchor Chris Cuomo who has coronavirus was videoed in to share his experience, the governor said he is hopeful it is a strategy that will work but that the 'burn rate' is 'troubling'.

'At the current burn rate, we have about six days of ventilators in our stockpile, meaning if the rate of usage, people coming into hospitals needing ventilators, if that continues we have about six days. If the apex happens within that time frame, increases, is longer, we have an issue with ventilators,' he said.

He added that on average, 350 people a night are showing up at emergency rooms requiring ventilators. If they do not get one, they die, he said. 'That is the blunt equation here.'

As of the 1 April, there had been 92,381 cases of the coronavirus in New York, and a total of 2,373 deaths, as they continue to increase day-by-day