FOCUSING on Brexit-related negotiations with the EU is "not wise" at the current time.

That is according to the Welsh Government's Counsel General and Brexit Minister Jeremy Miles who was giving today's coronavirus briefing.

Mr Miles said that the immediate focus of the Welsh Government was coronavirus and that the UK government should adopt a similar position.

"This is the right thing to do," he said.

"Now is not the time to continue the negotiations with the EU about our future relationship with them.

"We've called on the UK government to pause those negotiations.

"Focusing on these negotiations while dealing with coronavirus is not wise."

Even discounting Brexit for the time being, Mr Miles echoed First Minister Mark Drakeford's sentiment that Wales "can't go back to business as normal" after this pandemic.

"We've seen jobs come back to Wales and we're making greater use of technology," he said.

"Almost overnight a huge number of people now work from home.

"This is an opportunity and also a challenge."

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Despite his view that Wales has proven itself able to stand on its own in certain areas, Mr Miles was keen to note that the Welsh Government was still firmly behind the four nation approach it had been following so far.

"We're not looking to take different steps for the sake of it," he said.

"Decisions have been based on advice and the circumstances of the location.

"Last week's publication was our contribution to this, far from being an attempt to plough one's own furrow."

Mr Miles was also asked whether more could have been done at an earlier stage with regard to support for care homes and their staff.

He said: "People working in care homes across Wales show incredible devotion to all the people they care for.

"We have provided additional funding to the sector.

"We have supported the sector in terms of food supply and free PPE. Also extending our testing regime to include the care sector.

"We understand the challenges the care sector faces and we will continue to work with them to provide that vital service for some of the most vulnerable in society."

Mr Miles provided reasoning for bringing in outside voices in order to support the government's work on tackling the pandemic.

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, and Dr Rebecca Heaton, member of the UK Committee on Climate Change would "provide experience," he said, and "voices we didn't have access to so often."