Nearly three times as many people are now dying of flu and pneumonia than with coronavirus in England and Wales, new figures have revealed.

Numbers published by the Office For National Statistics show 917 flu and pneumonia deaths were registered for the week ending on July 10.

In comparison, 366 people died that week after testing positive for Covid-19 -, the lowest number of deaths involving the virus in the last 16 weeks and a 31.2% decrease compared with the previous week, which saw 532 deaths.

Overall, the number of deaths registered in the same week was 6.1% (560 deaths) below the five-year average – the fourth consecutive week it has been below average.

It comes as 15 more coronavirus hospital deaths were confirmed in England on Tuesday, bringing the UK hospital death toll to 33,798.

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The government has paused its official announcement of daily deaths in care homes and the wider community, amid claims Public Health England has been ‘over-exagerating figures’.

Researchers have accused PHE of counting people as victims if they die of any cause at any time after testing positive for the virus – meaning they would still be included if they were ‘run over by a bus three months later’.

The Department for Health and Social Care said last week daily figures would come to a halt while the issue is ‘resolved’.

It comes as a leading scientist claims nearly half of NHS workers were infected with coronavirus at the peak of the pandemic.

Sir Paul Nurse, Francis Crick Institute director, told MPs today that ‘up to 45%’ of healthcare workers were infected in April – but a lack of testing meant most cases went undetected.

Meanwhile, one of the government’s top scientific advisors has poured cold water on Boris Johnson’s hope for ‘a significant return to normality’ by Christmas, warning the UK will be living with coronavirus for ‘very many, many years to come’.

Professor Sir Jeremy Farrar, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) and director of the Wellcome Trust, told the Commons Health and Social Care Select Committee: ‘Things will not be done by Christmas. This infection is not going away, it’s now a human endemic infection.

‘Even, actually, if we have a vaccine or very good treatments, humanity will still be living with this virus for very many, many years to come.’

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