The Manx Independent today leads with the news that the Lieutenant Governor has declared a state of emergency.

But what does that entail?

Chief reporter Adrian Darbyshire explains in the story.

As you might expect, the coronavirus pandemic features strongly inside.

We describe the symptoms, find out more about what’s happening in the health service - including restrictions on visiting the hospital - and have a great story about a gin distillery that’s hoping to make hand sanitiser.

The Steam Packet gives reassurance about its services.

The paper also includes reports on how islanders are helping each other.

Also this week:

St John’s shop is destined to close.

Bankrupt businessman Sam Alder has lodged an appeal against a court ruling in an attempt to stop receivers taking possession of his home.

The Young Farmers’ Concert once again won its audience over with several funny takes on Manx stories and customs. We have two pages of coverage.

When you’re struggling to find a ’really, really great’ bun for your customers, the answer is to open a bakery and make it yourself. Well that’s what Simon Ross did anyway. Julie Blackburn catches up with him in our Food and Farming pages.

The Agricultural Development Scheme (ADS) replaced the former grant scheme for farmers and signalled a radical shift in agricultural policy on the Isle of Man.

Hundreds of people welcomed Peel’s new lifeboat to the town. So did we.

Our Island Life section reports on what’s still going on and, unfortunately, what has been cancelled.

The sports pages do pretty much the same.

The Manx Independent also has your letters, What’s On, a page of puzzles, a page of pictures from the past, readers’ photos, a seven-day television guide and lots of community news.

The Manx Independent is in the shops now.

But you don’t have to go to a shop to buy a copy.

You can also read it online if you buy the digital edition. It should be uploaded by 7.30am.

To find out how to buy it, go to the ’Digital Editions’ section of the website on the grey line near the top of this site.

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