Australians in the state of Queensland have been mandated to wear protective face masks for the entire Christmas and New Year period when indoors at retail stores, supermarkets, on public transport, at hospitals, and more. The mandate comes into effect at 1 a.m. on Dec. 18 and will be in place for the entire state of Queensland, which is twice the size of Texas. The mandate will be revised when the state reaches 90 percent double dose vaccinated against COVID-19. “This is a small price to pay for your freedoms,” Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told reporters on Dec. 17. “We are asking this to slow the spread of the virus.” “We know Christmas is some of the busiest times of the year for families doing their Christmas shopping and getting ready. I want Queenslanders to enjoy their Christmas and their holidays,” she said. Palaszczuk said the measure would rule out stronger …