The US state of New York, the epicentre of the country’s Covid-19 outbreak, will allow pharmacies to carry out tests for the virus, the governor says.

Andrew Cuomo said some 5,000 pharmacies would be able to carry out testing, with the aim to provide 40,000 per day.

The US has more than 938,000 confirmed cases. Almost a third of the 53,751 deaths happened in New York City alone, BBC reported.

Meanwhile, Governor Cuomo announced on Saturday that antibody screenings would be expanded at four hospitals, beginning with frontline medical workers. He also said independent pharmacies would be allowed to collect samples for diagnostic tests.

Hospital admissions in the state have also begun to fall, Mr Cuomo said, in what he described as a sign the crisis was starting to subside.