Panaji, July 1 (IANS) A day after a ruling BJP MLA tested positive for Covid-19, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Wednesday that while the MLA was a part of a meeting of legislators some days back, social distancing norms had been followed at the event.

"One MLA is positive. Even if we had a meeting, we maintain social distancing," Sawant said.

The Chief Minister said that others who were present at the meeting were at liberty to get themselves tested at a "personal level".

"The meeting happened eight days ago. We were sitting in one room with social distancing," Sawant said.

A ruling MLA from South Goa district was diagnosed Covid-19 positive on Tuesday.

It is the first instance of a sitting MLA testing positive for Covid-19 in the state, where the number of active cases has crossed 700.

Another politician, a former BJP Health Minister, also tested Covid-19 positive last week and has been admitted to a designated Covid-19 facility.

According to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, the former Health Minister also suffers from a kidney ailment.

--IANS maya/rs/bg