A 19-year-old Dublin man who lives with two people believed to have the coronavirus, has been refused bail after he was charged with repeatedly breaking new covid-19 movement restriction laws.

Aaron Tyrell, 19, from Woodhazel Close, in Ballymun faced four counts for breaching the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Bill, 2020. He denies the charges.

Mr Tyrell was arrested this morning after gardaí received directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions to charge him with breaking the new laws, aimed at preventing the spread of Covid-19.

He was brought before Dublin District Court where Judge Grainne Malone noted there was a garda objection to bail.

The teenager appeared via video-link from another room in the building but was not visible from the public gallery.

Garda Ross Brierly told the court he spoke to the accused a day after the new laws were introduced and explained to him in plain language he could not be away from his home unnecessarily.

He said in the alleged offences, the teen did not say he was exercising or going shopping and he had no explanation.

Objecting to bail, Garda Brierly also told the court that when he arrested the teenager at his home he was in a communal part of his house and not self-isolating. He told the court he feared the accused would continue to cause hardship in his community by spreading the virus.

He argued that the list of essential services and reasonable excuses for a person to leave their home were well publicised.

The offences are alleged to happened twice on April 8, once on April 13 and again on Tuesday.

Detective Garda Gerard Malarky said he also saw the youth on April 8 "hanging around" at the Omni Shopping Centre in Santry with another male. They gave no reason for being in the area, he said.

The detective advised them about social distancing and they said they were waiting to get a taxi, the court heard. Detective Garda Malarky said he does not know if they got the taxi together.

He agreed with defence solicitor Brian Keenan that this happened within a 2km radius of Mr Tyrell’s home but added that the youth had not given a reason for being in the area.

A garda witness in relation to the alleged breach on April 13 was not available.

Detective Garda Rachel Goggins told Judge Grainne Malone that she saw the teen at Coultry Drive, about a kilometre from his home.

The teen offered no explanation, she alleged.

She encouraged him to go home but he did not comply, she said.

Detective Garda Goggins said she had learned that two members of the youth’s household had tested positive for covid-19.

The court also heard the two people referred to did not have symptoms.

Defence solicitor Brian Keenan pleaded for bail.

He said his client denies the charges and he was instructed that the youth had been out exercising which was permitted.

Judge Malone refused bail and remanded the unemployed youth in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court next Friday.

She directed disclosure of prosecution evidence to the defence.