Islington has been flagged as a potential Covid hotspot after figures showed 58.3% of PCR tests in the north London borough came back positive, prompting a warning from Labour MP Dame Emily Thornberry. However, local health voices and data analysts have argued that the headline number risks giving a misleading impression of a runaway outbreak.
Rising Cases and a Local Warning
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) data shows the rate of positive coronavirus test results has increased in recent weeks. Reported cases in England jumped from 1,374 in August to 4,589 in September.
Dame Emily Thornberry, the Labour MP for Islington South and Finsbury, issued a public warning urging residents to take care. In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), she said: “58.3% of Islington residents taking a test are discovering they have Covid. It seems to be the highest in the country at the moment. Look after yourselves Islington.”
Small Sample Size Raises Questions
The 58.3% figure was drawn from a very small pool of tests. On the peak day referenced in the data, October 9, only 31 PCR tests were processed across the whole borough, meaning 18 positive results created the alarming percentage, the Standard reported.
Experts also stressed that those who are still getting PCR tests can distort the figures. With mass public testing long since ended, the people most likely to have a PCR test are those who are already very unwell, in hospital, or classed as clinically vulnerable. When testing is largely limited to symptomatic or high-risk individuals, positivity rates can rise sharply without reflecting the level of infection across the general community.
Neighbouring Areas and Wider Trends
By the week ending October 12, Islington’s PCR positivity rate had already fallen to 39%, representing 11 positive results out of 28 tests, suggesting the earlier figure may have been a short-lived spike rather than a sustained surge.
Figures shared alongside the Islington data showed high positivity levels in neighbouring areas too, with Camden at 35% and Barnet at 27%, London Evening Standard reported. Across London as a whole, the average PCR positivity rate peaked at around 12% in early October and has since dropped to just under 8%. Islington Council also moved to reassure residents, insisting the borough is not an outlier.
Ongoing Monitoring and Guidance
Health officials continue monitoring the dominant “Stratus” (XFG) variant nationwide, urging people to follow basic hygiene guidance, stay at home if they feel unwell, and keep up to date with seasonal booster vaccinations if eligible. NHS guidance also advises that anyone who returns a positive test should stay at home and avoid contact with others for five days.
