The Queensland government has announced sweeping restrictions for unvaccinated residents, barring them from pubs, clubs, nightclubs, music venues, hotels, bars, restaurants, cafes, sporting venues, and more. The new restrictions start from Dec. 17, when the state is due to reopen its borders, or once 80 percent of Queenslanders aged over 16 are fully vaccinated—whichever comes first. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Tuesday described the new measures as a “reward” for Australians in her state to return their lives to normal. “People who are fully vaccinated have absolutely stepped up and done the right thing and you deserve to keep your freedoms,” she told reporters in Brisbane. The premier said the new rules were both a reward for the fully vaccinated as well as a precaution for when the borders reopen. “This pandemic has been a long, hard road,” Palaszczuk said. “Soon our borders will open and COVID will be in our communities. …