U.K. economy shrinks 20.4% during April lockdown

Education, health and automobile sectors were hit due to the pandemic impact

Customers stroll through Shepherd's bush market that is allowed to reopen after the COVID-19 lockdown in London, Monday, June 1, 2020.

Official figures show that the British economy shrank by a colossal 20.4% in April, the first full month that the country was in its coronavirus lockdown .

The Office for National Statistics said Friday that all areas of the economy were hit, in particular pubs, education, health and car sales.

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Jonathan Athow, deputy national statistician for economic statistics, said April’s fall is the biggest the U.K. has ever seen, and almost 10 times larger than the steepest pre-

COVID-19 fall. April’s decline follows a 5.8% contraction in March.

In April, the economy was about a quarter smaller than it was in February.

The U.K. was put into lockdown on March 23 and

restrictions are slowly being eased . On Monday, nonessential shops, such as department stores and electronic retailers, are due to reopen.