During the Spanish Flu, social distancing was enforced and had to be practised.
“In St. Louis, Missouri, shortly after the first cases of flu were detected, local health officials ordered schools, churches, courtrooms and libraries closed. Gatherings of more than 20 people were banned.” The excuse was to limit the number of deaths.
And if other cities were less vigilant and social distancing (together with mask wearing) was not practised, it was reported that the death toll in such cities ended up being much higher than in cities with strict lockdowns. The below photo shows a 1918 Memorial Day parade in Philadelphia where compliance of totalitarian orders were not obeyed:
Sounds familiar?