"If you are a senior citizen or immune compromised, I would think seriously about attending a large gathering," he noted. "Now I've said that to my mother."

Meanwhile, the state is testing aggressively, especially among suspected populations. "The more tests, the better. The more positive you find, the better. Because then you can isolate them and you slow the spread," said Cuomo.

The state of emergency declaration will speed up the purchasing of supplies and the hiring of workers who could assist local health departments, especially in monitoring those who are self-quarantined, according to the governor.

Thousands in the state are currently under self-quarantine, including over 2,700 people in New York City. Many of them have just returned from a country or a region where there is a COVID-19 outbreak.

Cuomo urged those who are under voluntary quarantine to comply with specific rules, saying violating those rules is disrespectful to members of the community and may be putting people in danger.

The governor also warned businesses that price-gouging at a situation of emergency is not allowed.

"It is not worth it to the store owner. You can lose your license. And we are very serious about this," he added.