Barcelona's nightlife suffers in wake of virus measures

Nightclubs in Barcelona are suffering heavy economic losses with coronavirus restrictions in the city meaning they will stay closed until at least August 22.

Spain is attempting to pull off the delicate balancing act of managing the health crisis while reactivating the economy.

Spanish authorities have for several weeks warned about the danger of new outbreaks of COVID-19, that experts had predicted would likely occur in the colder months.

Instead, the surge has come in mid-summer when Spaniards are eager to reconnect with family and friends.

There are some 300 nightclubs in Catalonia, but in total there are over 3,700 nightlife-related businesses.

About 60% of this business sector remains closed since the start of the pandemic in Spain in early March with an estimated loss of 60 million euros (71 million US dollars)

Ramon Mas is the owner of Wolf, one of Barcelona's best-known nightclubs and the head of both regional and national unions of nightlife businesses.

Even after reaching an agreement with the owner of the venue and now paying half the monthly rent, he is losing over 15,000 euros (18,000 US dollars) each month since March.

"The summer season is lost. We are talking about a city like Barcelona which receives (yearly) 19 million tourists," he said.

Wolf employs 30 people, whose wages are being paid by a state subsidized scheme known as ERTE, allowing employers under financial stress to lay off staff or cut hours allowing them to claim unemployment benefits.

He said he believed it would his business at least 5 years to recover from the pandemic.