The Food and Drug Administration, in an effort to speed the development of coronavirus tests, on Monday announced that states could approve tests developed in laboratories in their states — without getting FDA authorization.

The step is similar to the latitude the agency granted the New York State Department of Health last week to regulate labs on coronavirus tests. The states would be the de facto regulator, and the labs would not have to interact with the FDA.

The agency also said commercial manufacturers developing coronavirus tests could distribute the tests for use before getting FDA approval, called emergency use authorization — another significant loosening of the rules.

Those companies would be required to validate the tests before selling them and to submit an application for authorization within 15 days. That flexibility is similar to the Feb. 29 guidance that the agency granted high-complexity laboratories in academic medical centers and other entities wanting to develop their own tests.

“This action demonstrates the FDA’s ability to pivot and adapt as the situation warrants in light of a public health emergency,” said FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn on a telephone briefing with reporters.

Jeffrey Shuren, director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, acknowledged that the new latitude for commercial manufacturers is a trade-off that carries some risks — because the tests won’t be reviewed by the FDA before being used on patients. But, he said, “That trade-off is worth doing,” given the onslaught of the coronavirus.

The Trump administration has been under fire for its failure to provide widespread testing early in the pandemic — at a time when some experts say the outbreak might have been contained.

The agency also provided recommendations for companies developing serological tests for use during the outbreak. Such tests measure the amount of antibodies or proteins present in the blood when the body is responding to a specific infection.