As Covid infections rise in England, Islington South London MP Emily Thornberry urged constituents to be wary amid data suggesting they were in a virus hotspot. But the public health authority say the borough is not an outlier.
By Josef Steen, Local Democracy Reporter
As temperatures decline, COVID-19 is once again on the rise in London and across England. UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) data shows the rate of positive test results has increased in recent weeks, as reported cases in England jumped from 1,374 in August to 4,589 in September.
However, figures have circulated appearing show one north London borough has become a coronavirus hotspot. In Islington, the majority (58.3 per cent) of PCR tests were coming back positive, compared to a much lower Londonwide average.
The statistic prompted Islington South and Finsbury MP Emily Thornberry to take to social media last week (Friday 16) urging constituents to “look after themselves”. But the local authority has pushed back on suggestions it is an outlier.
Figures from the same data period shared by the local MP also showed high levels of positive tests in the neighbouring boroughs of Camden (35 per cent) and Barnet (27 per cent). Across London, average positive PCR results peaked at roughly 12 per cent in early October. The latest data covering up to October 19 show these have fallen to just below 8 per cent.
Islington’s rates have since fallen slightly and now sit behind Camden’s 45 per cent positivity rate.
But the council claims that though confirmed positive test results are comparatively high, the reported levels are not a reliable indicator of the actual picture because the number of tests is limited.
The 58 per cent figure from the UKHSA refers to 31 cases recorded on October 9, meaning 18 people tested positive that day. By the week ending October 12, the proportion had fallen to 39 per cent: 11 positive PCR results from 28 tests.
‘Keep your hands clean’
Islington Council’s deputy leader and executive member for health, Cllr Ruth Hayes, said there had been “just under” 50 confirmed cases in the borough over the last month, adding that this was similar to the number of cases confirmed over the same period last year.
She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “UKHSA have recently reported an increase in COVID-19 circulating in the community across London and nationally. We have seen a similar position in Islington, with an increase in reported cases over the last few weeks compared with the spring and summer. We saw a similar pattern last year, with cases rising with the start of autumn.
“This highlights the continuing importance of vaccination for those eligible and of the role of good respiratory hygiene,” Cllr Hayes said.
Islington’s Public Health department added that testing volumes are now very low, so week-to-week positivity rates can fluctuate significantly and should not be treated as a reliable estimate of borough-wide coronavirus prevalence.
However, the local authority has encouraged all Islington residents to get any vaccinations that they are eligible for, and to take action to help stop the spread of viruses.
Official advice is for residents to cover their nose and mouth with a disposable tissue every time they cough or sneeze. If a person does not have a tissue, they are advised to cough or sneeze into their elbow, rather than their bare hands.
“Keep your hands clean, wash your hands thoroughly with warm water and liquid soap regularly, or use an alcohol-based hand rub/sanitiser,” Cllr Hayes said.
The UKHSA’s latest surveillance report from Thursday (October 22) shows that over 2 million people (34 per cent) in England aged 75 years or more had received their autumn booster jab, compared to almost 225,000 (15 per cent) people under 75 who have weakened immune systems.
London has the highest ICU admissions rate in England for COVID-19, but this remains relatively low. There is also no suggestion from current data that variants like Stratus are leading to more severe illness than other strains, the UKHSA said.
The UKHSA said on October 8 that positive PCR tests and hospital admissions were rising consistently across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as across Europe and the United States, indicating the spike was “not a localised trend”.
“As we move into winter, colder and wetter weather means people spend more time indoors, which enables the spread of respiratory viruses. It has also been roughly a year since the last significant COVID-19 wave, so immunity from vaccination and previous infection may be waning in parts of the population, making people more susceptible,” the agency said.
