Niya Tamang, 24, is among 200,000 visa holders stuck in limbo for at least a fortnight while the government tries to get a handle on the Omicron mutant strain of coronavirus.
A popular Sydney shopping centre, KFC franchise and Woolworths supermarket are on Omicron alert after an overseas traveller spent time in the community before testing positive to the COVID-19 variant of concern.
New rules for international travellers arriving in Australia includes higher fines in NSW for failing to comply with quarantine and testing rules, as the state reaches five cases of the Omicron variant.