Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. It was with great sadness that we are learning of the first confirmed deaths in Wales from COVID-19. I want to add my sincere condolences to the families and friends of the deceased, and to all whose lives have been so seriously and tragically impacted by this ongoing and fast-moving crisis. 

As you've heard, the Welsh Government is taking far-reaching, cross-Government action to combat COVID-19 and its wider impacts. We are working closely with other administrations across the UK and partner organisations in Wales, including with all our local authorities.

The First Minister, standing in for the Minister for Health and Social Services, and the Minister for Economy and Transport have already set out earlier the actions being taken in their portfolios. In addition to that action, we have deployed new measures to relax supermarket delivery hours to help maintain the supply of food stuffs and other goods, including those goods that are currently in particularly high demand.

The Emergency Coordination Centre (Wales) is in operation to help effectively co-ordinate our response, working closely with our counterparts in the UK Government, Scotland and Northern Ireland. We have well-established arrangements—tested and exercised over many years—and these are now up and running.

The Welsh Government Cabinet is also now meeting on at least a weekly basis to discuss COVID-19 and our response to it, and the First Minister and/or the Minister for Health and Social Services—and I imagine, now, with his self-isolation, other Ministers—will continue to attend meetings of COBRA so that we have up-to-date information at all times.

Our local authorities have a key role to play in keeping critical services running, and we are working closely with them and our four local resilience forums to ensure that they have the support they require. This morning, I held a joint press conference with the leader of the WLGA, Councillor Andrew Morgan, where we set out the joint actions we are taking.

Clearly, COVID-19 will impact on public services. There will be fewer people available for an indeterminate period to deliver services that will have seldom, if ever, been in greater demand, and this clearly presents a major challenge. However, we have been working with our colleagues in local government to plan and prepare for COVID-19, and this Government will ensure that our local authorities have the resources they need to continue to deliver much-needed public services over the coming weeks and months of this crisis. In addition, we will soon be able to make use of additional, time-limited powers, to be delivered through a four-nation Bill. These powers will help make our response to COVID-19 more effective.

In the press conference with Councillor Morgan this morning—and I want to repeat it here this afternoon in the Chamber, Deputy Presiding Officer—I thanked local government for its considerable contribution, for providing the day-to-day services that the people of Wales rely on so heavily, but also for their incredible response to the recent flooding in parts of Wales. And of course, the work going on across local government dealing with the aftermath of the floods is not yet complete, and now other important work has started on COVID-19 as well.

There are, of course, some specific groups for whom this virus presents particular risks and challenges. I'm very focused on finding practical ways to support these groups and those who work with them. In particular, those who are homeless, especially at the most acute end of the homelessness spectrum—rough-sleepers—need our support more than ever. My officials are working with the sector to bring forward proposals to support the vital work that already happens in this sector and to extend the options available to help people off the streets, give them access to sanitation and support, and enable isolation where necessary. This will include ensuring that local authorities have access to the funds necessary to facilitate this. I'm also conscious of the need to support and protect those who work for this vulnerable group, and to ensure that we work effectively with our third sector partners to maintain core service provision through joint working. I will be providing further details on this later this week.

Work is also ongoing with the WLGA and the third sector to ensure that volunteers are strategically mobilised. The Welsh Government is working tirelessly alongside others to slow down the spread of COVID-19 in Wales and to protect our most vulnerable people. It is important to recognise that every one of us, every person in Wales, has a role to play in helping make this happen. Advice on what to do and not to do has been published on the Welsh Government website. This advice is kept under constant review and updated as necessary. 

It is abundantly clear that the COVID-19 crisis will be with us for many weeks, if not months, and it will bring with it a range of serious and long-term impacts on individuals, on families, on the economy and beyond. We will continue to engage with local government and all parties in Wales to plan and implement measures that will keep our public services operating effectively at this critically important time. Diolch.