Number of A&E visits plummet during the coronavirus crisis
recorded at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust last month.
That was 34% fewer than in March, and a 48% decrease from in April last year, when there were 19,991.
Nationally, there were 917,000 A&E attendances in April 2020, down 57% from 2.1million in 2019.
NHS England said the fall was "likely to be a result of the COVID-19 response".
DrNickScriven,apastpresident of the Society for Acute Medicine, said the drop in attendances was "a significant concern" and people's conditions may have worsened as a result.
He added: "This is a ticking timebomb in itself and it will be exacerbated by a myriad of other pressures in the coming weeks.
"There will be an ongoing need to keep people with coronavirus separate from others to prevent transmission. Attemptingtomanageincreased demand will be very challenging." The NHS figures show emergency admissions at the South Tyneside and Sunderland Trust also fell, from 5,025 in April 2019 to 3,882 last month.
John Appleby, director of research and chief economist attheNuffieldTrust,said:"People are likely putting off seeking care because of COVID-19 infection fears and worries of burdeningoverstretchedNHS staff.ThisisdespitesomereassurancefromboththeGovernment and the NHS that these services are open.
"We do not yet know what impact this is having on people's health. Some people will haveself-treatedorsoughtother sources of care."
Professor Stephen Powis, NHS medical director, said although A&E attendances were sharply down, the majority of reductions were for lower-risk conditions.