Sydney airport has begun implementing thermal screening for all incoming international arrivals, following a directive from the NSW state health department aimed at stopping the spread of coronavirus.

Nurses and biosecurity staff began implementing temperature checks at Sydney International Airport yesterday, but the move sparked major delays in the arrivals hall.

Passengers were photographed standing shoulder-to-shoulder as they queued for immigration, in direct opposition to the government’s advice on social distancing.

Video footage posted to twitter yesterday shows people standing close together in long lines inside the international arrivals hall.

I am livid 😡

This was international arrivals at @SydneyAirport this morn.

When @AusBorderForce was asked wtf re #SocialDistancing the reply was “not our problem, that’s biosecurity.”#coronavirusaustralia #covid19australia pic.twitter.com/5tSxzEUZsg

— Sally Prosser (@sally_prosser) March 25, 2020

According to Sally Prosser, who tweeted the footage, Australian Border Force Officers responded with “not our problem, that’s biosecurity” when asked why social distancing rules weren’t being enforced.

The Federal government has urged people to stand 1.5 metres away from one another and avoid large public gatherings in an attempt to halt the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Sydney airport said in a statement that they will now place security guards in terminals to “remind people of their obligations.”