A further 337 COVID cases have been announced this evening.

Last night, there were 89 coronavirus patients in Irish hospitals – a 19.5% decrease on this day last week.

Meanwhile, there were 34 in intensive care, down 17% on last week.

The figures have been impacted by the HSE cyber attack and the Department of Health said they may change due to future data review, validation and update.

The Five-Day moving average in Ireland now stands at 419.

Five-day moving average. Image: Newstalk

It comes as pharmacies prepare to begin administering COVID-19 vaccines from next week.

They'll initially administer the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine to people over 50 who have yet to receive a jab.

The vaccine portal will begin opening to people aged between 40 and 44-years-old this week.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced plans to refer to coronavirus variants by letters of the Greek alphabet, instead of their place of first detection moving forward.

The organisation said naming them after the place they were first detected is “stigmatising and discriminatory.”