Comment on Iowa sees third record high this week for COVID-19 hospitalizations

With Iowa breaking records for the number of COVID-19 patients being treated in hospitals time after time after time this week, federal coronavirus experts are admonishing state officials to take more aggressive steps to fight the disease’s spread, including advising that public and private gatherings in 68 counties “be as small as possible and optimally, not extend beyond immediate family.”The latest White House Coronavirus Task Force report, released Friday by state officials in response to an inquiry, said that 49 Iowa counties are in the worst “red zone” — an increase of 11 counties since the week before — and that another 19 counties are in a slightly less volatile “orange zone” — an increase of four counties.Another 21 counties are in the “yellow” zone — which dropped by seven counties from the week before.