The number of new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours in New South Wales has risen by 174, down considerably on the previous day's increase of 212 cases.

Key points: NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard appealed to the community for better behaviour after reports of sanitiser thefts in hospitals

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard appealed to the community for better behaviour after reports of sanitiser thefts in hospitals New restrictions are in place today on incoming air passengers, with 30 transferred for treatment today after feeling unwell

New restrictions are in place today on incoming air passengers, with 30 transferred for treatment today after feeling unwell Eleven fines have been issued over breaching social distancing and self-isolation rules

The total number of confirmed cases is now at 1,791, with 24 people being treated in intensive care.

Among the latest cases is a staff member at Long Bay prison hospital.

The hospital, which is attached to Long Bay Correctional Centre in Sydney's south, has a capacity of 130 patients.

NSW Health said it was doing contact tracing and isolating any staff and patients who could be at risk.

The number of passengers diagnosed with COVID-19 from the stricken Ruby Princess cruise ship, which docked in Sydney earlier this month, also continues to climb.

NSW cases from the ship have risen by 18 in the past 24 hours, to a total of 189.

The latest update comes as NSW and federal authorities deal with an influx of overseas passengers who must go into mandatory quarantine from today.

About 1,000 travellers have arrived in Sydney today on 12 airplanes.

Police said 30 passengers had been put into high-level isolation due to feeling unwell or experiencing coronavirus symptoms.

About 3,000 passengers in total are expected to arrive today.

Anyone found breaking the quarantine restrictions could face an $11,000 fine and a six-month jail term.

Buses queue to let passengers off to go into quarantine at a Darling Harbour hotel. ( ABC News: Rani Hayman )

Passengers are being placed in a range of Sydney's top hotels including the Intercontinental and Novotel Sydney Central.

One passenger being quarantined at the Ibis Sydney Darling Harbour told the ABC before entering hotel that details about what would happen to travellers was scarce.

"It's been pretty inefficient," said Paul Strasser who arrived in Sydney on Sunday from San Francisco via Los Angeles.

"We've been sitting on the bus for about three hours," he said.

"There's been no information given to us."

He said he felt "indifferent" about being quarantined.

"There's a risk of infecting my family so it's probably good to be in a hotel," he said.

"We've just got to make the best of what we've got.

"It's definitely for the greater good of the Australian community for us to be isolated."

Another passenger said the process "could have been handled better" from the airport onwards.

"There were no trolleys, which is a very logical public health decision, but the consequences are that we were shuttling our stuff while carrying our two-year-old, and then we were on a bus with no food and no water for three hours," she said.

"[The] face-to-face people have been fantastic.

"It's just you can see the policy mess that's situated around it."

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 2 minutes 17 seconds 2 m 17 s International travellers arrive at hotel after being transferred on buses

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said isolation for incoming passengers was most important.

"The need for that isolation and quarantine in our hotels is absolutely crucial.

"We have still thousands of people coming in, our citizens and permanent residents, returning from some of the most dangerous places in the world for COVID-19," he said.

"To have this measure will certainly, hopefully, make a huge difference to ensuring those people are not out and about in the community until they are appropriately checked and in quarantine for the period of 14 days."

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Mr Hazzard repeated pleas for the public to stick to social distancing rules.

"This virus can do it's evil best but it is not a high jumper, not a long jumper, and as long as you are 1.5m away from somebody else, you have a fairly good chance, a reasonable chance, of not actually getting transmission of the virus," he said.

Mr Hazzard also appealed for better behaviour in the community.

"I am mortified to hear that in some of our hospitals people are actually stealing hand cleaner and other items that will keep our frontline staff safe," he said.

"I've even heard of reports of hand-cleaner containers being ripped off the wall in hospitals. I cannot think of anything more appalling."

NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said 11 fines had been handed out to date for breaching social-distancing and self-isolation rules since they were introduced last week.

He also said reports of a group of 33 medical professionals who arrived from Chile on Friday who didn't self-quarantine was disappointing.

"My understanding is that the orders hadn't been served on them at the time, so we may not be able to issue them with infringements.

"But doctors should know better. We all really know now how serious this is.

"It is my understanding we have been in contact with everyone and they are all in self-isolation now, back in hotels in Sydney, or in their own homes."