The number of attendances at the Emergency Department of St James's Hospital decreased by 17% in the first half of 2020 from the same period last year, data provided to RTÉ Investigates shows.From the beginning of January to the end of May, there were 16,168 attendances at St James's Hospital ED, down from 19,510 in the corresponding time in 2019.Even though the country was in the throes of a medical emergency, EDs across the country became much less busy during the pandemic, as people stayed away from hospitals whenever possible, likely because of fear of contracting Covid-19.Some of the typical reasons for visiting the ED – such as alcohol-induced injuries, road traffic collisions, sports injuries and street assaults – became less