South Korea reports 46 new virus cases as it tackles 'second wave'

South Korea reported 46 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday after health authorities declared the country was battling a second wave of infections that had been circulating for weeks. The South endured one of the worst early outbreaks of the disease outside China but appears to have brought it broadly under control thanks to an extensive 'trace, test and treat' programme while never imposing a compulsory lockdown. Social distancing rules were relaxed after a public holiday in early May and the country has since been returning largely to normal. But in the last month the South has seen around 35 to 50 cases a day, mostly in the Seoul metropolitan area where half of the population lives. 'We believe the second wave has been running since it was triggered by the May holiday,' said Jung Eun-kyeong, director of Korea's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.