El Paso hospitals say they are full 1:18
(CNN) -
Yes, the closings in the spring were brutal and painful.
But they helped prevent hospitals from overflowing and lowered COVID-19 infection rates, saving countless lives in the process.
Then the states reopened, sometimes very quickly.
Many people had a false sense of security, rejected personal responsibility and left without masks.
New infections, hospitalizations and deaths skyrocketed.
And the abysmal summer rebound erased much of the progress made during the closures.
LEE: Almost 50,000 in the US are hospitalized with coronavirus;
experts warn of growing pressure on healthcare
The United States is now in the midst of what doctors say will be the worst coronavirus wave yet.
But the states don't want to enact new closures.
Instead, here is what some governors and mayors are doing to try to control the pandemic:
Most US states now have COVID-19 mask use mandates
This is how masks protect us from the coronavirus 3:43
A growing number of cities and at least 33 states require masks to be worn in public places or under specific circumstances.
Michigan is one of many states facing a spate of new Covid-19 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths.
So last week the state ordered residents to wear a mask at any gathering of two or more people in places like stores, offices and schools, the state health department said.
advertising
"Businesses cannot admit people without masks, with few exceptions," said the Michigan Department of Health.
LOOK: Why should the use of masks be mandatory?
This is how Dr. Elmer Huerta responds
Health experts say that wearing a mask around people who don't live in your home is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to help control this pandemic.
In fact, a face mask could provide more protection than a vaccine, Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said in mid-September.
Local US officials enact curfews to contain COVID-19
Some cities and counties are now under night curfews, including Miami-Dade County, El Paso County in Texas, and Pueblo, Colorado, which have seen wild spikes in new COVID-19 infections.
"What we face in Pueblo is a public health disaster, threatening lives and our economy," Mayor Nicholas Gradisar said Thursday, announcing a two-week curfew.
"We are obligated to take immediate action to save Pueblo's businesses and save lives," he added.
El Paso County has implemented a two-week curfew, said Judge Ricardo Samaniego, the top government official in the county.
Samaniego said that all hospitals and intensive care units in the El Paso area had already reached 100% capacity.
"We've had significant spikes to the point where our hospital capacity is really depleted," said El Paso Mayor Dee Margo.
"We are probably at the limit of our strength," he added.
In Florida, everyone in Miami-Dade County must wear a mask in public when social distancing is not possible or when there is no physical barrier present, according to an order from County Mayor Carlos Giménez.
Miami-Dade said the mask-wearing mandate is good for business, too.
The order says that "the widespread and consistent use of masks and other face covers will help the county avoid future business closures, provide confidence to business customers and tourists, and help limit economic damage to the community."
Restaurants must collect personal information from diners
This is how easy the covid-19 would spread in restaurant 1:24
In Michigan, restaurant and bar patrons are required to provide their phone numbers so that contacts can be traced in the event they are exposed to someone with coronavirus, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said.
The state of New York announced similar rules in September.
At least one member of each group that dines at an indoor restaurant should provide information so they can be reached in case a contact tracker needs to reach them, Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office said.
Drastic capacity reduction in shops and places of worship
What makes this virus notoriously difficult to control is how easily it spreads when people are not feeling sick.
The CDC estimates that 40% of infections are asymptomatic and 50% of transmissions occur before symptoms begin.
So states are taking steps to reduce the size of the crowds that congregate, both indoors and outdoors.
Connecticut, which had been one of the most successful states in handling the pandemic, is beginning to see increases again.
That's why restaurants will be limited to 50% capacity starting this Friday, Governor Ned Lamont said Monday.
Religious ceremonies are limited to 50% capacity or 100 people, whichever is less.
Indoor event spaces are limited to 25 people, outdoor event spaces to 50 people and cinemas to 100 people.
Illinois is now under "resurgence mitigation" after test positivity rates soared across all regions of the state.
As of Wednesday, all indoor bar and restaurant service is prohibited.
And all gatherings, gatherings or social events are limited to 25% of capacity or a total of 25 guests, whichever is less.
And Colorado health authorities have backtracked on reopening Denver.
Restaurants are now limited to 25% of their capacity indoors, or no more than 50 total people per room.
Places of worship are limited to 25% of their capacity or 50 people.
And retail stores are now limited to 25% of capacity.
"City leaders had already enacted stricter public health orders, including the mandatory use of face shields outdoors, to try to get around these restrictions," the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment said last week.
"But (the department) said that the severity of the increases forced the change," he explained.
Hollie Silverman, Tara Subramaniam, Casey Tolan, Kristina Sgueglia, Rosa Flores and Sara Weisfeldt, all from CNN, contributed to this report.
covid-19 masks curfew