EL CENTRO â After the state reached 4 million vaccine doses administered to people living in the vaccine equity quartile the California Department of Public Health announced less restrictive tier metrics that allowed Imperial County to move into the orange tier starting today. The allowed case rate for the moderate level was changed from a maximum amount of 3.9 new cases daily per 100,000 residents to 5.9 cases. The county cases rate for the past two weeks has been 5.4 per 100,000 residents. To reach and stay in the orange tier the case rate must remain between 2 and 5.9 cases. The seven-day average for positive tests must remain between 2 percent and 4.9 percent. Imperial County is currently at 3.4 percent.