The foreigner, who was working at a restaurant, had earlier escaped following detection of his contraction of the disease and had been hiding somewhere in the city. Subsequently, his sponsor informed passport officials about his hurub (runaway) status. Since then, the Passport Department launched a manhunt that resulted in his detention, Al-Madinah daily reported yesterday. 

Lt. Col. Muhammad Al-Hussein, spokesman of Makkah Passport Department, said that the Chinese man was arrested during a routine inspection raid carried out by his team. He said the man was taken to the isolation ward of King Faisal Hospital in Shisha, Makkah province.