A new report has found that 11,000 deaths were avoided in Europe over the course of April, with lockdown measures implemented due to the Covid-19 pandemic triggering a decline in industrial activity and the generation of air pollution.

The report, published earlier this month by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), noted that the continent-wide quarantine had led to a 40% reduction in the average level of nitrogen dioxide compared to April 2019, and a 10% reduction in the average level of particulate matter. Other findings included a decline of 1.3 million in the number of working days lost to absence, 6,000 fewer new cases of asthma in children, and 600 fewer preterm births.

Read more about the impacts of Covid-19 on pollution in Europe here.