The office buildings in the financial area of Canary Wharf in London are seen behind the Thames Barrier on May 14, 2020. Britain's economy shrank in the first quarter at the fastest pace since the 2008 financial crisis as the country went into lockdown ov
London - The number of people using emergency medical facilities in England fell to its lowest level on record last month, "likely" due to coronavirus, official health data showed Thursday.
The total number of attendances at emergency treatment centres such as Accident and Emergency and minor injury units fell by 56.6 percent in April, compared to the same month last year, according to NHS England's monthly report.
"These are the lowest number of attendances reported since this collection began and are likely to be a result of the COVID-19 response," said the report.
Emergency admissions via A&E departments alone decreased by 36.6 percent compared to the same month last year.
The coronavirus outbreak forced health providers in England to pare back their services, with many non-essential appointments cancelled.
But senior medics are concerned people may be putting off getting help when they need it due to fears of infection from COVID-19.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland report separately, as health is a devolved issue for regional governments in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.
Britain's official death toll in the outbreak stands at over 36,000, according to comprehensive statistics released on Tuesday.
But the figures also show that there have been 50,000 more deaths than average since it began, raising questions about the indirect effects of the virus on overall mortality rates.
