OHIO — The Ohio Children's Hospital Association said kids are being hospitalized at an alarming rate due to COVID-19 and hospital workers are being overworked.

On Tuesday, CEOs and hospital administrators of the OCHA begged Ohioans to get the COVID-19 vaccine and wear masks as hospitals around the state see a spike in coronavirus cases amongst kids.

"We're not only at a place we've not been before but as the clinicians have mentioned, we don't know where the peak is," said Nick Lashutka, president of OCHA.

The Ohio Hospital Association reported 67 children were admitted last week, its second-highest report since November.

"Last week and the previous weeks, we were significantly constrained with beds and staffing and that does impact care for everyone as I've said in other forums. It's not just COVID. It's anybody that shows up for care at an adult or children's hospital. Their care is impacted when we're full and we have been very full," said Dr. Patty Manning-Courtney, chief of staff at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

OCHA said it is in close contact with Gov. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, and the General Assembly yet refused to say whether there should be mandates for masks or vaccines in schools or otherwise.

OCHA's president, who has four kids of his own, did say this:

"As a parent, if that's a condition of their being in school, I'm 100% OK with that. So our policymakers, the governor are certainly free along with the Department of Health to make these decisions. But we know they work and we want Ohioans to understand the gravity of the situation we're facing and do the right thing," Lashutka said.​

Hospital leaders did say they either require their employees to be vaccinated or "strongly encourage" them to get the shots.