[Changes in number of emergency medical service deployments in an urban area during the first COVID-19 pandemic-related contact restriction phase].

Background: To contain the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, public life was reduced through contact restriction measures (referred to as "lockdown" in the further course for reading simplicity), among other things to make health system resources available for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. In parallel, a decrease in emergency patients was observed in the public health system.

Methods: For two 10-week periods before and during the lockdown, ambulance service deployment rates were analysed in 6 ambulance service areas for 6 tracer diagnoses.