People at Sydney Airport have been urged to inhibit COVID-19 by being responsible and adhering to social distancing rules amid reports of chaos and shoulder-to-shoulder interaction.
Scenes from Sydney's international departures terminal on Friday showed huge lines of travellers not adhering to the 1.5-metre social distancing rule as they waited to check in for flights.
Some travellers, however, were seen taking extra precautions by dressing in head-to-toe protective gear.
Sydney Airport says it has put measures in place to ensure people get the message about the coronavirus pandemic.
This includes displaying the government's public health messaging on digital screens across terminals and placing signage in high-traffic areas outlining the steps to slow the spread of coronavirus.
"We need people to listen and show responsibility," an airport spokeswoman told AAP in a statement on Friday.
"Every single passenger that arrives is spoken to about social distancing. We have made it clear to both our own people and the agencies and businesses operating from the airport that they need to comply."
Private security staff have also been hired to walk through terminals and remind people of the rules.
Scenes from later on Friday afternoon at the airport showed some people keeping the required 1.5m distance from each other.
Australian Border Force officers at the airport were working to ensure public safety was upheld, a spokesman told AAP in a statement on Friday.
"The ABF continues to encourage all passengers to adhere to social distancing guidelines while disembarking and clearing customs and immigration," he said.
It's understood all passengers arriving at Sydney Airport are undergoing temperature checks, facilitated by biosecurity staff and NSW Health employees, a Community and Public Sector Union spokeswoman previously told AAP.
"The testing space is too small for all passengers and disembarking is not being staggered to allow for social distancing," the CPSU said in a statement.
Australian Associated Press