SUMMARY - Sunday, October 17, 2021 - 6.15 p.m.

BRATISLAVA - Slovakia's coronavirus update for Saturday, October 16, 2021, according to the National Health Information Centre's (NCZI) special website covid-19.nczisk.sk and the Investment, Regional Development and Informatisation Ministry's website korona.gov.sk: NEW POSITIVE PCR TESTS: 1,735 Positive PCR tests in total: 437,385 NEW POSITIVE ANTIGEN TESTS: 276 Positive antigen tests in total: 399,369 NEW DEATHS: 13 Deaths in total: 12,846 BRATISLAVA - Coalition MPs Jana Bitto Ciganikova (Freedom and Solidarity/SaS) and Milos Svrcek (We Are Family) disagree in the issue of the hospital reform. Speaking on RTVS's discussion programme 'O pat minut 12' (Five Minutes to Twelve) on Sunday, Svrcek talked about depopulation of regions. Bitto Ciganikova objected she hasn't heard any reservations from the We Are Family party until its leader Boris Kollar didn't announce in a region that he wouldn't support the reform. BRATISLAVA - Speaking on TV Markiza's politics talk show 'Na telo' (Tough Questions) on Sunday, Justice Minister Maria Kolikova said she will come up with the third version of the court map she prepared based on comments, believing it will be a compromise. Extra-parliamentary Voice-SD leader Peter Pellegrini claims that Kolikova is the only one from the coalition to support the reform and that she hasn't obtained the money from the budget for it. RIMAVSKA SOBOTA - The increase in energy prices, the destruction of social state and the rule of law and the need for early elections dominated speeches, delivered by Smer-SD representatives during the protest rally held in Rimavska Sobota (Banska Bystrica region) on Sunday. The opposition party organised the anti-government rally on the occasion of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. ko