The coronavirus infection rate on Long Island - and in New York - has continued to climb.

Long Island is now seeing an islandwide infection rate of 3.4% -- 537 of more than 16,000 tests came up positive. That rate is the fourth highest region in the state.

In Nassau County, the infection rate is at 2.8%, where 213 residents tested positive. While in Suffolk County, the infection rate is 3.8% after 324 residents tested positive. Suffolk hasn't had a positivity rate above 3% since May 25.

The rest of the state is also seeing a spike in overall positive cases. Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned that the state should expect the surge to continue.

"The fall season has brought the expected increase in COVID that all the scientists predicted," Cuomo says.

He added that all New Yorkers can do now is manage the increase in cases. He points to the micro-cluster strategy as proof that New York is handling the virus.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone says the current spike is related to Halloween parties.

"Most of these gatherings are within the state limits, so they're not in violation of the state gathering limits and yet these gatherings are still producing a significant number of cases," he says.

Bellone says to try to get a handle on the surge, the county will double the number of its contact tracers from 50 to more than 100.

Amid the rise, Northwell Health showed off some of its increased COVID-19 testing capabilities. The hospital system purchased dozens of machines over the summer so that it can now process up to 8,000 COVID-19 tests per day.

The instruments take about three hours to return a result.

"We're never going to be as unprepared as we were back in February or March," says Dr. Dwayne Breining, of Northwell Health.

MORE: Pfizer says early data signals COVID-19 vaccine is 90% effective at preventing the virus

MORE: US allows 1st emergency use of a COVID-19 antibody drug

MORE: How long could I be contagious before a positive virus test?