FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky reported its second-highest number of coronavirus cases Tuesday, coinciding with the second-highest number of tests conducted in a day.

1,018 tested positive for the virus while 8 new deaths were reported Tuesday.

Governor Andy Beshear said cases are escalating in Kentucky.

“And that means we gotta work harder,” Beshear said. “Now this is a war and we’ve won many battles, but we can’t walk away from the battlefield and we can’t stop doing what it takes and I really need your help.”

Beshear said a said part of the situation at colleges and universities involves aggressive testing, but he’s still worried.

“I continue to be worried about the levels that we see,” Beshear said. “I also continue to be worried that there’s just some things that we can ask college students not to do that they are still going to do.”

This is the third time Kentucky has topped the 1,000-case mark in a single day. The most cases in a day came August 12, when the state reported 1,163 new cases, although that number included cases from the previous two days. The only other time Kentucky reported more than 1,000 cases in a day was September 19.

Tuesday’s report also included 72,808 tests, second-most Kentucky has reported in a single day. The seven-day positivity rate is 4.24 percent.

The White House will be sending rapid tests to Kentucky over the next few months, the exact number of which will be determined based on the state’s population and needs compared to the rest of the country. The shipment is part of a pledge to deliver 150,000