Coronavirus: Inside the Welsh Government during outbreak

Responding to the coronavirus crisis has been a "colossal challenge", according to Wales' top civil servant.

Permanent secretary Shan Morgan said around 80% of the Welsh Government's staff were currently working on an aspect of Covid-19.

She added that the organisation had adapted "fantastically quickly".

First Minister Mark Drakeford said the pandemic was "not like anything we've had to face".

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BBC Wales was granted access to the government's Cathays Park headquarters to see how the crisis has affected day-to day operations, and how the response to the pandemic is being managed.

The building, which would normally have about 2,500 staff, is largely empty and social-distancing measures have been introduced throughout.

The normally busy headquarters at Cathays Park is close to empty

"We reckon that now about 95% of our staff are working really well from home. We're getting stuff done," Ms Morgan said.

She added that "for the foreseeable future remote working is going to be the default".

Asked how much of a challenge the pandemic had been for the civil service, Ms Morgan said: "This is a huge challenge.

"Getting things right to make sure that we are looking after the people of Wales, that we are not overwhelming NHS capacity… that's a colossal challenge because it's a life and death challenge.

"I'm very proud of the way that everybody in the Welsh Government, working with all of our stakeholders, has responded to that formidable challenge."

The first minister said the crisis had changed the way the government operated with very few ministers going into the office regularly, and daily meetings taking place over Zoom.

The first minister says virtual meetings cannot fully replace face-to-face conversations

"In some ways, we are more agile in working this way," Mr Drakeford said.

But he added that, for those ministers who are not going into the office, "there's quite a big loss that comes with no face-to-face contact".

"Zoom calls are very good in many ways and they focus on the business, but those soft things that go on around a meeting.

"That couple of minutes you have just to speak to somebody, test something - none of that happens in the way we're working now, and that's a loss and can make the business of government a bit more challenging."

'Big challenges'

Mr Drakeford said he could not think of anything else like it in 20 years of devolution.

"We've had a number of big challenges over the years: foot and mouth was an enormous challenge in parts of Wales, ebola didn't become an issue here in Wales, but the threat of it was real and that was a public health emergency in its time.

"But this is a public health emergency that has actually arrived and has made our lives, every one of us, completely different and it's not like anything else we've had to face."

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