Starting Thursday, doctors in South Korea will be able to test patients for COVID-19 if they suspect they may have contracted the virus, regardless of their overseas travel history.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(KCDC) has expanded its quarantine measures to include testing people who have come into contact with those who have visited China or those displaying symptoms after returning from a country that has reported cases.

Patients diagnosed with pneumonia can also be tested, while those hospitalized for the disease will be quarantined and tested.

The move comes amid concerns that the virus may have spread among the general public after a number of the latest cases involved patients with no record of overseas travel and no contact with previously confirmed patients.

Authorities have also tightened rules regarding quarantine release, requiring even those showing no symptoms to test negative when experts deem necessary, before being released after the 14-day incubation period.