Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn said Wednesday that stay at-home coronavirus tests will help states increase their testing capabilities.

Why it matters: Increasing daily tests is a key requirement that states must reach before they can safely relax coronavirus lockdowns.

Driving the news: The Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday that it granted emergency authorization for LabCorp's first at-home coronavirus test, CBS News reports.

The test is a nasal swab kit and will cost $119, though buyers must complete an eligibility survey before receiving one.

It will not be available in New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Rhode Island because they have regulations against people initiating their own tests, according to CBS.

What they're saying: Hahn told CBS that health care workers and first responders will have first access to the test when it goes on sale.

Hahn added that the test is as effective as those administered in a doctor’s office.

"With this action, there is now a convenient and reliable option for patient sample collection from the comfort and safety of their home," he said in a statement.

The big picture: The United States had conducted more than 4 million tests as of Wednesday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

The country has tested an average of 146,000 people per day so far in April, according to the COVID Tracking Project.

Harvard University researchers suggest that the U.S. cannot reopen its economy unless it triples the number of daily tests, the New York Times reports.

Go deeper: Maryland to receive 500,000 coronavirus tests from South Korea