Coronavirus: Brazilian police fly helicopter to create sandstorm and chase people off beach during state lockdown

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A police helicopter in Brazil created a sandstorm on a beach in an attempt to remove sunbathers flouting coronavirus restrictions, footage has shown.

The incident took place on Friday on Galheta beach in the city of Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, according to local media.

Although Brazil is not under a national lockdown, the state of Santa Catarina has been under emergency measures since 17 March.

Throughout the country, Brazilians have become increasingly frustrated at President Jair Bolsonaro’s handling of the coronavirus crisis.

As of last week, people started to bang pots and pans together in protest at the president’s inaction.

Recent opinion polls showing his popularity slipping.

After he dismissed the illness as a “little flu” surrounded by “hysteria” on Tuesday, Mr Bolsonaro said on Wednesday that state-level lockdowns were disastrous for Brazil’s economy.

Writing on Twitter, he expressed his desire for these measures to be reversed.

He said: "If companies don't produce, they won't pay salaries. If the economy collapses, public workers also won't receive anything. We need to open businesses and do everything to preserve the health of the old.”

Political figures such as Davi Alcolumbre, the leader of the Senate, have criticised the president.

Mr Alcolumbre said in a statement:"We consider the position expressed by the president to be grave ... Now more than ever, the nation expects from the executive leader transparency, seriousness and responsibility. "

Now, many of Brazil’s 850,000 indigenous population are worried about the spread of the disease and have called for miners, missionaries and other outsiders to leave the Amazon rainforest.

Health experts worry that the illness could spread even quicker among tribes, as they often have weak immune systems caused by malnutrition and diseases such as hepatitis B.

In 2016, hundreds of indigenous people in Brazil were killed by the H1N1 epidemic.

Brazil has so far recorded 46 deaths from the disease, with the total number of infections standing at 2,247.