As the Journal went to press Jan. 12, the state moved Humboldt County into its most restrictive purple "widespread" risk category, as officials had predicted would happen for more than a week, and the county sat at the precipice of falling under a regional stay-at-home order. The county's return to purple status means that, beginning Jan. 14, movie theaters, places of worship, gyms and restaurants will have to close all indoor operations, while the county is also placed under a nighttime stay-at-home order that requires people stay home except for essential outings. The county's return to purple has been expected since Humboldt's move from the purple tier to the lesser red — or substantial risk — tier surprised local officials Dec. 29 amid a record-setting month that saw 863 new cases confirmed locally.