LETTER | The recent announcement by the government to lower the maximum ceiling retail price for Covid-19 self-test kits from the current price of RM19.90 each is pleasing and commendable.

The new price will be announced in November, but I personally feel the move to reduce the ceiling retail price of these kits even further should be expedited for the benefit of the B40 and M40 groups.

The use of these kits is one of the ways to protect not only ourselves but also others. I believe these self-test kits will be a normal part of life and even more so in light of the impending move to allow interstate travel once 90 percent of the adult population are fully vaccinated. The demand for these rapid test kits will definitely boom.

I myself have used five of these self-test kits in recent weeks for both official and personal reasons. It is safe to say that the average Joe will definitely feel the pinch if he needs to fork out a substantial amount to purchase these kits.

I sincerely hope the price of the kits can be lowered even more for the welfare of the rakyat. Vice versa, the other players in the supply chain cannot be ignored or conveniently overlooked as well. So, the goal here is to strike a balance that will be beneficial for all.

Employees all over Malaysia are slowly accepting the fact that it is now time to return to the office as we edge closer to normalcy. The work from home concept, while proven to be possible and plausible, might not be the order of the day.

In the same breath, we must not lower our guard in the fight against the virus. The vaccine, face masks, rapid test kits and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests are just tools to protect ourselves and the people around us. An individual’s mindset and attitude are equally as important if we are to win this battle together.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.