Panaji, Jul 31 (IANS): A ruling BJP MLA Clafasio Dias who had been discharged from a designated COVID-19 hospital here earlier this week, tested positive again and is undergoing treatment for a pulmonary condition at a top government health facility, an official said on Friday.

"The honourable MLA was shifted from our Employee State Insurance (ESI) hospital to Goa Medical College. He requires some rehabilitation treatment for his pulmonary condition. So he is undergoing treatment as we speak and he is in GMC," State Health Secretary Nila Mohanan told reporters.

Mohanan said that Dias had tested negative earlier this week and was shifted out of the ESI hospital - Goa's only designated COVID-19 facility -- but had tested positive on Friday, but added that there have been instances in the recent past, where a Covid patient had tested positive after having tested as negative earlier.

"This is because of remnants of virus which continue to be present in the body. That is why even the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) changed their guidelines, that a patient should be discharged without a test, because if you test them, you will definitely find remnants of the virus," Mohanan said.

Dias is the only legislator who has tested positive for COVID-19 in the state.