TOPEKA, Kan. — Gov. Laura Kelly says Kansas expects to receive 870,000 rapid COVID-19 tests from the federal government over the next three months to boost testing in potential hotspots.

Kelly’s comments Monday came as the state saw a record increase in coronavirus-related hospitalizations.

Kelly said the new tests are crucial for a new statewide policy of more testing of people without virus symptoms in areas with high infection rates and increasing routine testing in schools, nursing homes and prisons. She said the state already has received its first 57,000 tests.

Kansas saw an average of more than 523 new confirmed and probable coronavirus cases a day in August and September, and the total now approaches 63,000 for the pandemic.

The state Department of Health and Environment also reported Monday that Kansas has had 3,036 people hospitalized because of the virus, including 53 since Friday.