Schools, houses of worship and other large gathering places within a one-mile radius in New Rochelle will close for two weeks starting Thursday because of COVID-19, according to a press release issued by Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office.

Cuomo accepted the recommendation of State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker for the new emergency measures to contain the novel coronavirus cluster in New Rochelle, the release said. The containment area currently has 108 confirmed cases and is considered a “cluster.”

National Guard troops were deployed to a health department command post in New Rochelle to assist with the outbreak. “The troops are mobilizing to deliver food to homes and help with cleaning public spaces in the containment area,” said the release.

“New Rochelle at this point is probably the largest cluster in the United States of these cases and it is a significant issue,” said Cuomo in the statement. “The numbers have been going up, the numbers continue to go up, the numbers are going up unabated and we do need a special public health strategy for New Rochelle. What we are going to do is focus on an area concentric circle around the sites of the majority of the cases in New Rochelle. Much of the transmission tends to happen on a geographic basis. Kids go to school, kids go to a store, parents go to a store, parents walk down the block, shake hands with someone.”