A thief, who escaped from the Covid ward of Hazaribagh Medical College and Hospital (HMCH), was caught on Friday afternoon at Bhagat Singh Chowk here after police were tipped-off by local residents.

Police officials said the thief, who has been brought back to the Covid ward for treatment, was caught on Monday while trying to steal money from an ATM kiosk. He was kept in two police lockups before he had to be shifted to the ward as he tested positive for the coronavirus.

The two police stations, as well as few places where he had been to, had to be sealed and sanitised as a result of the fiasco.

On Friday afternoon, the man was spotted at Bhagat Singh Chowk outside a shop. Residents, who said they had seen his photographs doing the rounds on social media, identified him immediately and informed police.

Teams led by Sadar sub-divisional police officer Kamal Kishore were on the lookout for him since he escaped from the washroom of the hospital’s Covid ward on Thursday.

Policemen first went to his house at Matwari and spoke to his parents. Both pleaded ignorance about his whereabouts.

At Bhagat Singh Chowk, local residents blocked his way while waiting for the police and health workers to arrive. No one went near him as it was known that he was a Covid patient.

The health workers guided him to an ambulance and took him to HMCH. Police said he did not put up any resistance.

Officials said they would now determine where thief had spent the night and if he had come in contact with anyone to determine whether he could have infected others.