The South Korean government will strengthen screenings of travelers from Hong Kong and Macao amid the spread of the new coronavirus among people who haven't traveled to China's Wuhan region.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(KCDC) said on Tuesday that Hong Kong and Macao will be designated "contaminated areas" starting in the early hours of Wednesday.

The KCDC said the possibility of an inflow of coronavirus patients from the cities heightened as Hong Kong reported 36 confirmed cases and one death, and Macao reported ten cases as of Monday.

All passengers from the two regions will have to fill out a health questionnaire and go through a temperature check upon arrival.

Those displaying pneumonia-like symptoms, including fever, will be tested for the new coronavirus.

Starting Tuesday, medical facilities in the country can check a patients' travel history to determine if he or she has been to any countries or regions other than mainland China that have reported coronavirus infections.

The first group of countries and regions are Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as Hong Kong and Macao.

Japan, Taiwan and Malaysia will soon be added to the list.