New virus restrictions deal fresh blow to Spain economy

Fresh virus restrictions imposed in Spain's two regional economic powerhouses, Catalonia and Madrid, have darkened the country's already bleak growth forecasts and angered business leaders. The two regions together account for around 40 percent of Spain's economic output and are home to most of the country's big firms, as well as the pillars of its economy such as tourism and the manufacturing sector. 'We will die of hunger,' hundreds of restaurant operators chanted during a protest Friday in Catalan capital Barcelona against a 15-day shutdown of bars and restaurants to contain a surge in cases in the northeastern region.