The Kamloops Blazers and Kelowna Rockets along with all other junior hockey teams in Interior Health continue to wait to see when they will be able to host fans for games this fall.

Speaking on the NL Morning News, Health Minister Adrian Dix did said crowds are coming to the Sandman Centre at some point.

“This is why we’re bringing in the vaccine card. So that if we’re going to Blazer games – and there will be people going to Blazer games this year – will be able to do so safely. Knowing that everyone in the rink is vaccinated… Vaccine cards don’t stop people from doing things, they enable people to do things.”

Interior Health appears to be the only jurisdiction in North America where you couldn’t host fans indoors right now. On Thursday, new health restrictions were brought in for Northern Health because of rising COVID-19 cases, but those new rules aren’t as strict as the Interior, and the Prince George Cougars are still allowed to have up to 50 per cent capacity.

Dix said the Western Hockey League has shown it can safely bring in protocols.

“The league has been real leaders in that. We’re working closely, public health, is working closely with the league. This isn’t an issue of favoring one region over another, it’s just not. We have had high rates of transmission, and we still have very high rates of transmission,” he said.

“There’s a process we’re working through right now, and as soon as we have something to say, we will. But I will say this, there are going to be fans in the arena in Kamloops this year. And the vaccine card is going to make a big difference in that.”

Dix wouldn’t commit to changes that would see the Blazers host fans in less than two weeks for exhibition games.

The regular season home opener is Oct. 9.