MLB Takes Issue With Dodgers’ Infected Player Joining World Series Celebration

The New York Times: M.L.B. Says Justin Turner Refused To Stay Off Field After Dodgers’ Win 
The joy of the Dodgers’ long coveted World Series title was overshadowed when Justin Turner, the team’s veteran third baseman, joined his teammates in celebration on the field shortly after learning he had tested positive for the coronavirus. ... .M.L.B. said on Wednesday that the Dodgers’ entire traveling party had been tested after Tuesday’s game and that both they and the Tampa Bay Rays were tested again in the morning. It said “appropriate authorities” would determine whether the teams could travel or not, but did not specify which ones. The Dodgers flew home Wednesday evening, but it was unclear how many members of the team were on the flight. (Waldstein, Brassil and Wagner, 10/28)

The Washington Post: MLB Investigating Justin Turner's Actions After World Series Win 
On Wednesday afternoon, MLB said it was investigating the matter with the players’ union “within the parameters of their joint 2020 operations manual.” “Following the Dodgers’ victory, it is clear that Turner chose to disregard the agreed-upon joint protocols and the instructions he was given regarding the safety and protection of others,” MLB said in a statement. “While a desire to celebrate is understandable, Turner’s decision to leave isolation and enter the field was wrong and put everyone he came in contact with at risk. When MLB Security raised the matter of being on the field with Turner, he emphatically refused to comply.” (Sheinin and Dougherty, 10/28)

In other public health news —

The New York Times: People Are Still Having Sex. So Why Are S.T.D. Rates Dropping? 
For the first time in years, rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis, which had been on track in 2020 to hit record highs in the United States, have taken an abrupt downturn. This should be good news. ... But the drop is more likely a harbinger of bad news, experts in reproductive and sexual health believe. They say the pandemic has seriously hindered efforts to mitigate sexually transmitted infections, [and] the upbeat numbers likely signal instead that they are now going largely undetected. (Hoffman, 10/28)

New Orleans Times-Picayune: Less Exercise, More Snacking And Anxiety: Coronavirus Has Led To These Bad Habits 
Over the past seven months, the coronavirus has upended life, prompting widespread shifts in how people spend their days. What was hard to comprehend in March — virtual schooling, isolation, meetings through videoconference, plexiglass and masks — is now the norm. But according to a new study from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, some of those disruptions have turned into habits. And they might have long-lasting effects on health. (Woodruff, 10/28)

The Wall Street Journal: Halloween Terror, Now On The Drive-Through Menu 
The Oaks Park Haunted Drive-Thru offers five frightening options to choose from, including one called “The Condemned.” “Fake blood and guts get smeared and strewn all over your car,” said Emily MacKay, marketing and events director. “But you get a carwash at the end of the drive. From a value standpoint, you could come just for that.” Or for the killer clowns or nuclear-disaster mutants featured in the other options at this mobile Portland, Ore.-based creep-show. This year, lots of haunted houses are closed. Yet there is a detour some haunt promoters are taking: drive-through attractions. (Garbarino, 10/28)

San Francisco Chronicle: As San Francisco Reopens, Facials Return With Science-Fiction Precautions
San Francisco moved into the state’s yellow tier for reopening on Oct. 20, and Tuesday was the first day in seven months that some nonessential personal services — including those that require the removal of masks, such as facials by estheticians — were allowed in the city. At spas across town, it became clear that while the serenity of soothing new age music and burbling fountains was the same as ever, treatments now included shades of science — and science fiction. (Zinko, 10/28)

The Salt Lake Tribune: Is Utah’s Home Football Opener Endangered By State’s COVID-19 Surge? Not Yet. 
COVID-19 cases are spiking and the positive-test percentage remains high in the state of Utah. That said, there is no indication that the University of Utah’s Nov. 7 season opener vs. Arizona is in danger of being canceled or relocated. However, the language inside a key Pac-12 document at least deems the topic worth exploring. (Newman, 10/28)