Spain scraps outdoor masks but many choose to keep them on

FILE PHOTO: Women walk along the avenue of Las Canteras Beach on the first day when protective masks are no longer required outdoors, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Las Palmas on the island of Gran Canaria, Spain, June 26, 2021. REUTERS/Borja Suarez

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain lifted a requirement to wear face masks outdoors on Thursday as COVID-19 infections continue to recede from record heights but some Spaniards, wary of contagion, chose to keep the face coverings on.

"With a mask I feel protected, especially when there's a lot of people around," said Julia de Isidro, 50, who works at Spain's National Library.