The first wave of the pandemic was the most fatal of the three in care homes in England, figures suggest, with Covid involved in the deaths of 19,783 residents between March and September.

Covid was involved in the deaths of 19,783 residents between March and September, accounting or 23.2% of fatalities across the period, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

There have been 45,632 deaths involving Covid of people living in care since the pandemic began, according to the data.

The ONS said the term “involving Covid” referred to deaths in which Covid was listed anywhere on the death certificate – not just deaths where the virus was found to be a cause.

The first wave was defined as deaths registered from 14 March 2020 to 11 September 2020 while the second was defined as 12 September 2020 to 11 June.

In England, the number of deaths also shot up 43.9% higher than the five-year average in the first wave, but was lower in the second and third waves.

There were 6,035 excess deaths compared with 3,200 deaths below average in the second wave 2,567 deaths below average in the third.

In Wales, the sharpest rise in Covid deaths was registered in the first wave but overall a higher proportion of deaths involved Covid in the second wave. In the first wave 876 deaths were recorded compared with 1,297 in the second.