US president Donald Trump has said he expects the country to be up and running again by Easter.

The States is currently on lockdown due to coronavirus  with 55,000 recorded cases and nearly 800 deaths.

He told Fox News: "We're going to be opening relatively soon... I would love to have the country opened up and just rearing to go by Easter.

"You're going to lose people. You're going to have suicides by the thousands. You're going to have all sorts of things happen. You're going to have instability."

He added in a later interview: "Easter is a very special day for me... and you'll have packed churches all over our country."

Despite the president's hopeful remarks, the governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, appeared to have a more realistic approach.

"The [infection] forecaster said to me, 'We were looking at a freight train coming across the country. We're now looking at a bullet train'.

"New York is the canary in the coal mine, New York is happening first, what is happening to New York will happen to California and Illinois, it is just a matter of time."

He also added that hospitals will soon reach breaking point if the US Federal Emergency Management Agency doesn't send more healthcare supplies.

Cuomo said New York currently has 7,000 medical ventilators but needs 30,000.