Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said at a press conference on Tuesday that more young people are being administered to hospitals for COVID-19 than they have been since the pandemic began.

He announced that there were 459 new COVID-19 related hospitalizations since Monday. That is the highest number of hospitalizations in a day since January 12, 2021. Gov. DeWine says more young people are being administered to hospitals than they have been since the pandemic began. 

Dewine reported more hospitalizations in younger age groups than ever before, saying children's hospitals across the state are facing admissions at a growing rate.

While there continues to be less hospitalizations in total now than there were during the pandemic's peak at the end of 2020 and beginning of 2021, there were 398 hospitalizations for the week of September 5 for people under the age of 50. 

That rate for that age group has not been seen since the pandemic began. About 97% of COVID-19 patients are not vaccinated. People under the age of 39 have lower vaccination rates than older age brackets. 

There is a sharp increase in young people dying from COVID-19.

"The solution is to have more people vaccinated," said DeWine.

Multiple doctors who spoke with DeWine during the conference stressed that patients who are visiting hospitals for non COVID-19 related issues may not be able to immediately get proper treatment. 

DeWine was asked if Pfizer's anticipate vaccine approval for children ages 5 through 11 would drastically change the delta variant's surge.

"I certainly think it will help," he said.

Data shows that 40% of children aged 12 through 15 have been vaccinated against COVID-19 since Pfizer's vaccine was recommended by the CDC in May.

Despite making several comments encouraging Ohioans to get vaccinated, DeWine repeated a notion that he has for several weeks.

"You cannot make people get vaccines," he said.

State and local governments can legally enforce a vaccine mandate according to the 1905 Supreme Court Ruling in Jacobson v. Massachusetts, which allowed states to require their residents get smallpox vaccines.

Despite standing his ground again, DeWine continued to say people should get vaccinated.

More accurate data regarding children and school-mask mandates will be provided by the state on Thursday.