South Korea expanded its special quarantine procedures to arrivals from all European countries Monday over concerns about imported cases of the new coronavirus.

The special screening measures at airports began to be applied to people coming from all European countries, up from the previous six -- Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Britain and the Netherlands -- at midnight.

South Korea is also implementing similar measures for arrivals from China, Japan, Iran, Hong Kong and Macao.

The expansion in the screening steps came as confirmed cases of COVID-19 have surged in Europe in recent weeks. The number of patients in Italy topped 20,000, the largest number of infections outside China, where the virus emerged.

"The coronavirus seems to be spreading in Europe at an unusual pace," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said at a pan-government meeting on the virus outbreak.

Arrivals subject to the special measures should have their temperatures checked and fill out health documents at airports.

They should notify health authorities of the addresses of their residences here and phone numbers where they can be reached, and also download a self-check app to report their health conditions.

The number of daily new coronavirus cases has slowed to a three-week low following massive testing on followers of the Shincheonji religious sect. But concerns about small-scale cluster infections and imported cases are mounting.

South Korea has reported 8,162 cases of the virus and 75 deaths since the first case on Jan. 20. (Yonhap)