Lyft and Uber appeared to surge prices during New York City's Monday morning rush hour soon after Mayor Bill de Blasio urged people to avoid using the subway unless it was essential.

As the number of coronavirus cases in the city rose to 20, de Blasio said New Yorkers should consider cycling or walking to work to try to reduce overcrowding on the subway.

He acknowledged that subway cars made it difficult for people to avoid direct contact with those who could be potentially infected with the coronavirus.

Following his comments, some noticed a surge in Lyft and Uber prices during the Monday morning rush hour commute.

Lyft and Uber appeared to surge prices during New York City's Monday morning rush hour soon after Mayor Bill de Blasio urged people to avoid using the subway unless it was essential

A 20-minute ride from the Brooklyn neighborhood of Park Slope to downtown Manhattan normally costs roughly $28 but was surging on Lyft to $40.

An eight-minute drive within Manhattan's East Village, which usually costs about $10, surged on Uber to $37.

Commuters were also reporting long than usual wait times for both Lyft and Uber on Monday.

As the number of coronavirus cases in the city rose to 19, Mayor Bill de Blasio said New Yorkers should consider cycling or walking to work to reduce overcrowding on the subway

De Blasio had earlier urged people to bike or walk to work if they weren't able to work from home as officials continue to battle the rising number of coronavirus cases.

'We need everyone to do their part in reducing overcrowding. I know that sounds impossible in New York City, but consider some basic steps like telecommuting if your job allows it,' de Blasio tweeted.

'Stagger work schedules so people can arrive later or leave earlier to beat the busiest times of rush hour.

'Plan to have some extra travel time in your commute. If the train that pulls up is too packed, move to a different car or wait to take the next one. Bike or walk to work if you can.'

The head of the MTA, Patrick Foye, has also advised people with health issues to avoid the subway if possible.

"If you can get around without riding the subway, do it,' he said on Monday.

He insisted the subways remained safe but urged those experiencing symptoms like a fever or respiratory issues to avoid the large crowds.

The MTA has been fully disinfecting subway cars every 72 hours and stations each day.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo unveiled a new state-made sanitizer on Monday as he gave the update on the increased number of coronavirus cases after declaring a state of emergency over the weekend

Speaking about the new sanitizer, Gov Cuomo said it was made up of 75 percent alcohol and will be provided to facilities including schools, the MTA, government run buildings and prisons

There are now 142 cases in New York state with 19 of those in New York City and 98 in Westchester where a Manhattan attorney was first struck down with the virus early last week.

It comes as New York Governor Andrew Cuomo unveiled a new state-made sanitizer on Monday as he gave the update on the increased number of coronavirus cases after declaring a state of emergency over the weekend.

Speaking about the new sanitizer, Gov Cuomo said it was made up of 75 percent alcohol and will be provided to facilities including schools, the MTA, government run buildings and prisons.

Cuomo said that state currently has the capacity to make 100,000 gallons of the sanitizer per week, adding that it is cheaper for officials to make it instead of buying it on the market.

It is being manufactured by Corcraft, which is the company that relies on prisoners in New York to make products, and is being made by inamtes at the Great Meadow correctional facility.

The state-made sanitizer costs about $6 per gallon to produce, according to Cuomo.

He said the production stemmed from reports of price gouging on hand sanitizer.

Cuomo warned that if the likes of Amazon and eBay didn't stop price gougers, he would introduce the state-made sanitizer to the market to compete.

'To Purell and Mr Amazon and Mr eBay - if you continue price gouging, we will introduce our product,' he said.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF CORONAVIRUS? Like other coronaviruses, including those that cause the common cold and that triggered SARS, COVID-19 is a respiratory illness. The most common symptoms are:

Fever

Dry cough

Shortness of breath

Difficulty breathing

Fatigue Although having a runny nose doesn't rule out coronavirus, it doesn't thus far appear to be a primary symptom. Most people only become mildly ill, but the infection can turn serious and even deadly, especially for those who are older or have underlying health conditions. In these cases, patients develop pneumonia, which can cause: Potentially with yellow, green or bloody mucus

Fever, sweating and shaking chills

Shortness of breath

Rapid or shallow breathing

Pain when breathing, especially when breathing deeply or coughing

Low appetite, energy and fatigue

Nausea and vomiting (more common in children)

Confusion (more common in elderly people)

Some patients have also reported diarrhea and kidney failure has occasionally been a complication. Avoid people with these symptoms. If you develop them, call your health care provider before going to the hospital or doctor, so they and you can prepare to minimize possible exposure if they suspect you have coronavirus. Advertisement

The main cluster of cases in the state remains in Westchester County where a Manhattan attorney was first struck down with the virus early last week and subsequently infected his family and others.

Elsewhere in the tri-state area, New Jersey has 11 cases and Connecticut has reported one case.

The outbreak has resulted in a number of schools canceling or suspending in person classes in New York and New Jersey.

In New York, Columbia University, Yeshiva University and Hofstra University have suspended in-person classes. The Somers Central, East Ramapo and Scarsdale school districts have also closed.

New Jersey's Princeton University is moving all classes online and will encourage students to remain at home after spring break instead of returning to campus.

Mount Olive, South Brunswick, Cranford and Wayne Township school districts have closed temporarily in New Jersey.

De Blasio told CNN on Monday that there was a 'high bar' and he doesn't anticipate mass closures for schools.

It comes after Gov Cuomo on Saturday announced a state of emergency as the coronavirus continued to spread in the northeastern state.

He said the state of emergency 'allows expedited purchasing and expedited hiring, which are the things we need now'.

Cuomo said that by declaring a state of emergency, he is able to free up $30 million that can be used for testing and the purchase of protective gear for healthcare workers.

The authorities are now 'aggressively testing' 24 hours a day, he said.

'We want to find positives... (then) we can put them in an isolated situation. That's the point of the exercise. You isolate them and you slow the spread.'

Cuomo described Westchester, which is where the infected Manhattan attorney lives, as an 'obvious problem'.

'We talk about contagion in clusters; clusters tend to infect more and more people,' he said.

In an effort to slow the spread of the virus, retirement homes and nursing facilities in the New Rochelle area are banning visits by outsiders.

'We are (being) hypercautious,' Cuomo said.

'I'm not urging calm... I'm urging reality. I'm urging a factual response as opposed to an emotional response... that people understand the information and not the hype.'

He added that, at present, there was no need to cancel large gatherings in any part of the state.

Cuomo said the quarantine period of 14 days for infected people might be extended.

Cases are expected to continue to rise higher amid fears that 40 doctors, nurses and medical staff in a Queens hospital may have been infected by an Uber driver who walked into the hospital and later tested positive for the virus.

Meanwhile, more than 4,000 people in the state have been urged to self-quarantine to prevent the spread of the disease.

Most of those are New York City residents who have returned from the coronavirus hotspots of China, Iran, Italy, Japan and South Korea within the past 14 days.

More than half of all U.S. states have reported cases of the coronavirus, which originated in China last year.

The US death toll from the disease is currently at 22 with the majority being from Washington state following an outbreak at a nursing home just outside Seattle.