Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said on Wednesday that the government is planning to implement stricter screening procedures for all arrivals from the United States starting no later than Friday.

Chung made the remarks while chairing a pan-government meeting on the coronavirus response at the government complex in Seoul.

Noting the recent surge in new infections among people from abroad, the prime minister said it is urgent to implement toughened quarantine measures for arrivals from the U.S. as well as travelers from Europe. 

He said that there is no time to delay applying stricter screening procedures as more South Koreans will likely return home due to a sharp rise in confirmed cases in the U.S.

Chung said that the government will hold a meeting on Wednesday to draw a conclusion on the most effective measures to protect South Koreans based on proposals by the Health Ministry and the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.