Norway's government said Monday it considered the coronavirus outbreak to be "under control" in the country.

It said the reproduction rate of the disease, the number of new people infected by each patient with the virus, had fallen to 0.7.

That was down from 2.5 when containment measures such as closing public spaces and banning sports and cultural events were introduced in mid-March.

"This means that we have brought the coronavirus infection under control," Health Minister Bent Hoie told reporters.