While New Zealanders are queueing at great distances in supermarket checkout lines around the country, customers at a Hamilton superette appear to stand cheek by jowl while picking up their groceries.

It's "reckless" and "irresponsible", according to an Auckland University academic, who says physical distancing is an absolute necessity during the coronavirus pandemic.

Government advice for Covid-19 alert level 4 lockdown calls for people to stand two metres apart when out shopping.

Pak 'n Save and Countdown supermarket stores are guarding doors to limit numbers inside. When Stuff visited a Hamilton Pak 'n Save recently, staff were regularly reminding people to stay two metres apart from one another while inside.

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But that does not appear the case at the Four Square on Silverdale Rd in Hamilton, where a shopper contacted Stuff after feeling worried about the numbers of customers inside and physical distancing there.

Video footage Stuff took shows customers filing in and out regularly within the space of about half and hour, no-one was permanently standing outside to survey customer numbers.

TOM LEE/STUFF Four Square Silverdale Rd in Hamilton. A shopper has raised concern about hygiene practices

There is tape marked along the floor where people should be spaced, and a checkout operator is behind a perspex screen.

But Helen Petousis-Harris, associate professor in the department of general practice and primary healthcare at Auckland University, said the video shows a lack of physical distancing in the store which was "very disappointing".

"Given the insistence to New Zealanders to keep physical distance of 2 metres, it seems irresponsible and reckless that they are disregarding this.

"Nobody is exempt from social distancing rules," Petousis-Harris said.

"We've been asked to do this really simple thing which is to keep 2 metres distance from others. It's not a big ask."

It was important to keep distance to prevent against the spread of the virus, which was transmitted through droplets which could fall on surfaces, she said.

Customers appeared in close proximity, especially at the doorway near the checkout, where other shoppers were passing nearby when entering, she said.

If somebody goes for a walk outside and needs to keep a 2 metre distance, that doesn't suddenly change when you get into a superette, Petousis-Harris said.

But the owner of the Four Square, who declined to give his name to Stuff, said he was abiding by the Covid-19 guidelines Foodstuffs were setting.

People were generally keeping their distance inside the store, he said, apart from families who were entering together.

"We're not a dairy," he said, "we don't have to follow the one in, one out rule."

Four Squares and Supervalues were classed as 'small supermarkets', the owner said, and his store could allow up to 20 people in at one time.

Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment class dairies and supermarkets as essential businesses during the coronavirus lockdown, which means they can still operate with certain rules in place.

Dairies must abide by a one person in, one person out rule.

A Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment spokesperson said Four Squares and Supervalues are classified as supermarkets and are allowed to have more than one person at a time.

It is up to the businesses themselves to manage health and safety precautions, and the number of people in the store at any one time, the spokesperson said.

Foodstuffs Head of Corporate Affairs Antoinette Laird said all stores were operating within Government-mandated Covid-19 guidelines.

"Stores are following Ministry of Health advice about maintaining physical distancing and thorough, regular hand-washing as the best line of defence against the virus," Laird said.

A Ministry of Health spokesperson said the Government and Ministry of Health have clearly spelt out expectations around hygiene protocols for essential businesses operating during the Level 4 Covid-19 response.

"The Ministry would be concerned to hear of any breaches of those protocols and that is why there is a mechanism for reporting any suspected breaches to the police through the dedicated website or the 105 non-emergency line."