MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Thursday, September 17, 2020 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Wednesday, September 16): NEW INFECTIONS: 92 Infections in total: 5,860 DAILY TESTS: 3,235 Tests in total: 393,486 NEW DEATHS: 0 Deaths in total: 38 BRATISLAVA - Interior Minister Roman Mikulec (OLaNO) assumes that checks at the border with the Czech Republic, which will be added to the list of high-risk countries from Friday (September 18), will take place at random. However, how they will function specifically is still under discussion. "A discussion regarding a technical solution is still ongoing," said the minister before the Cabinet session, noting that checks won't mean that the border will be closed. He declined to comment on the potential need for cross-border commuters to show confirmation from their employers, only stating that chief hygienist Jan Mikas must issue a respective regulation. BRATISLAVA - The governing coalition won't support the setting up of a parliamentary caucus for the Voice-Social Democracy party that includes the group of MPs around former premier Peter Pellegrini, TASR learnt from representatives of the governing parties on Wednesday. BRATISLAVA - Robert Klestinec will become the new director of Military Intelligence, Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad (OLaNO) announced at a press conference on Wednesday. BRATISLAVA - Ex-premier and MP Peter Pellegrini (Independent) held a press conference on Wednesday to point to the chaos that Prime Minister Igor Matovic (OLaNO) is bringing into the state's governance. According to Pellegrini, adopted epidemiological measures should be clear and comprehensible. He stressed that the second wave of the coronavirus outbreak requires that the state is managed by a leader and not an administrator of social networks. If the prime minister fails to govern the country in a dignified manner, he should pass the post on somebody else, who would be able to lead Slovakia out of the starting crisis. "The prime minister is repeatedly and constantly bringing chaos in the state's governance. What was valid yesterday is no longer valid today and nobody can guess what he'll order in the afternoon or what will be valid from the next morning," stated Pellegrini. BRATISLAVA - There will be probably no balls in 2020 due to coronavirus, while the possibility of organising secondary-school ceremonial events known as 'stuzkova' (ribbon ceremony) for those due to face final exams within a few months is still being discussed, said Prime Minister Igor Matovic (OLaNO) after a government session on Wednesday. Matovic conceded that the secondary-school ceremonies could be moved to the spring. BRATISLAVA - The limit for guests at weddings will be set at 100, Prime Minister Igor Matovic (OLaNO) stated on Wednesday following the session of the Government. The premier at the same time stated that hygienists and the police will be allowed to check weddings. While the wearing of face masks will remain compulsory, guests won"t have to wear them while posing for pictures, eating and drinking. BRATISLAVA - The police have pressed charges against two men who attempted to bribe Agriculture Ministry State Secretary Martin Fecko (OLaNO), TASR was told by Police Corps spokesman Michal Slivka on Wednesday. BRATISLAVA - Slovak President Zuzana Caputova had a phone call on Wednesday with 2015 Nobel Prize laureate in literature Svetlana Alexievich, who is now the last person from a seven-member presidium of the opposition Co-ordination Council in Belarus who still hasn't been detained or hasn't fled the country. Calling Alexievich a "brave woman, standing in defence of freedom and democracy" in Belarus, Caputova said that she expressed solidarity and support for all those calling for free and fair elections in the country. zel