Only 22% of people testing positive for coronavirus reported having symptoms on the day of their test, the BBC reports citing the UK's Office for National Statistics.

This hammers home the role of people who aren't aware they're carrying the virus in spreading it onwards.

Health and social care staff appeared to be more likely to test positive.

This comes as deaths from all causes in the UK fell to below the average for the second week in a row.

Between the end of March and June, there were 59,000 more deaths than the five-year average.

Meanwhile, the UK government's daily figures released on Tuesday, July 7 showed another 155 people have died after testing positive for the virus. This takes the total number of deaths to 44,391.

It comes after 16 new deaths were reported on Monday, but there are often reporting lags over the weekend.