New Zealand’s prime minister, leadership to take 20 percent pay cut to offset coronavirus impact

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Wednesday announced that she and the country’s other top-ranking officials will take a 20 percent cut in their pay for the next 6 months as the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage on.

“This is where we can take action and that is why we have,” Ardern said during a press conference, according to Reuters.

“We acknowledge New Zealanders who are reliant on wage subsides, taking a pay cut, and losing their jobs as a result of the global pandemic,” she continued.

Like many places across the world, New Zealand’s schools and nonessential businesses have been closed for almost a month in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus that has infected nearly 2 million people worldwide.

The country reported 20 new cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, on Wednesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 1,386 with nine deaths.

A decision on whether to extend the country’s current “Level 4” shutdown is expected from Ardern and the government next week.