South Korea on Monday raised its infectious disease alert level on a new coronavirus after reporting its fourth confirmed case. 

The Health and Welfare Ministry held a meeting and then raised the level of the four-tier infectious disease alert by one notch to the third highest "orange." 

The raised alert came as a 55-year-old South Korean tested positive earlier in the day for the virus that has already caused 80 confirmed deaths in China. 

A central disaster relief headquarters led by Health Minister Park Neung-hoo was put into operation on Monday to assist the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in quarantine activities and efforts to block the spread of the virus. 

The government also decided to enforce stepped-up quarantine inspections from Tuesday, requiring all travelers from China, not just from Wuhan, to fill out a detailed health questionnaire.
 
To that end, more personnel from public health organizations as well as military and police forces will be mobilized for quarantine checkpoints at the nation's airports and seaports to better screen inbound travelers for any sign of sickness.