Hotelier Marcus Levy’s positive diagnosis rocks Sydney’s rich set
Two of Sydney’s top private schools have been rocked by the COVID-19 diagnosis of millionaire hotelier Marcus Levy, while he has been forced to deny claims he compromised their safety by failing to self-isolate in his luxury mansions.
Confidential
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A millionaire hotelier who was diagnosed with COVID-19 after returning from an international ski trip has rubbished claims he put two prestigious Sydney school communities at risk by allegedly failing to self-isolate in his luxury mansion.
Father-of-three Marcus Levy, proprietor of Marvan Hotels which counts the Evening Star, the Westmead and The Bald Faced Stag among properties, went into self-isolation in his $20 million Vaucluse home after testing positive for coronavirus on March 17 following a screening that same day at St Vincent’s Hospital in Darlinghurst.
A day earlier, Mr Levy and his glamorous wife Vanessa Sanchez Levy returned from an international ski trip to Vail, Colorado.
Mrs Sanchez Levy, a former Aerobics Oz Style star, is the daughter of controversial Spanish-born property developer and hotelier Michael Sanchez.
Last week the Levy’s jetsetting and his COVID-19 diagnosis contributed to rising anxiety and outrage from fellow parents at Kincoppal Rose Bay and The Scots College Bellevue Hill, the elite schools attended by the couple’s three children.
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Mr Levy said he was aware of “accusations” from inside the school community that he had failed to adhere to strict quarantine restrictions.
“There were accusations I’d been out and about but that’s not true,” Mr Levy said.
“Yes, I had it but I was cleared by Health NSW on March 26 and I have an email to state that I have been cleared. I am now free of it.
“Until yesterday (March 26), I hadn’t left the front gate of my house but someone has dobbed me in. I know some parents are freaking out about it. There are some fairly highly strung people in the community.”
While the Kincoppal community has been abuzz with talk Mr Levy was “dobbed in” to the school executive by one of his own relatives, the school has confirmed it contacted NSW Health about the case.
A Kincoppal spokeswoman confirmed Mr Levy arrived home from an overseas trip with coronavirus on March 16 – “several hours after mandatory quarantine when rules were applied to all overseas travellers.”
“The family was advised that the isolation only applied to them and not family members who did not travel with them,” the spokeswoman said in a statement.
“The parent has not been on the school campus since 16 March when he returned home. He has been in self-isolation since. His children have not been at school since 17 March.”
Mr Levy refused to be drawn on where or how he caught the virus but said he and his wife – who he says tested negative for the disease along with their children – self-isolated as soon as they learned he had the virus.
His further confirmed his children went to school, albeit briefly, upon his return.
“They caught the bus to school – as per the guidelines – we didn’t take them. We self-isolated from them.”
The Scots College, in its daily updates to parents during the COVID-19 crisis, confirmed it was aware parents had tested positive to the virus and reminded family members about its stance to self-isolation.
Nearby Bellevue Hill boys school Cranbrook has also felt the impact of coronavirus with two boys from one family placed into quarantine.
While refusing to confirm the couple’s international travel itinerary in the weeks prior to his recent illness, sources have told this newspaper the couple flew to Vail Colorado to ski, an annual tradition for the past seven years.
They Levys have not always been so coy about their travel diaries.
In 2019, the seasoned jetsetters pulled their three young children out of school to spend a year exploring the northern hemisphere.
The trip, beginning December 2018 and ending December 2019, was well documented on Mrs Sanchez Levy’s travel blog, Mythreeplusme.
The former Aerobics Oz Style model and her husband enjoyed a first class expedition that took in America, France, Iceland, United Kingdom, Morocco, Vienna, Italy, Greece, Spain and Switzerland.
As the 41-year-old told her blog community before the tour began: “My husband and I started our business together when we were quite young. After school and uni, I didn’t do a lot of international travel, so I guess you could say that this is my “Gap Year”.
The ski enthusiasts kicked off the tour with a two month ski adventure in Colorado and France.
“We ALWAYS stay at The Four Seasons Vail and Residences … They make everything about skiing super easy. At the end of the day, once you reach the bottom of the mountain exhausted from a day of skiing, they will take your skis from you and carry them back to the concierge room, help remove your boots and drive you back to the hotel.”
Sources last week said there has been talk Mr Levy contracted the virus on his flight home from Colorado after encountering a group of fellow wealthy Sydneysiders exposed to COVID-19 on the ski fields of Aspen on the flight home.
A group of Australians drew international fire in Aspen for refusing to submit to Pitkin County health authority testing.
Among the group of Australians on Mr Levy’s flight home is said to have been the daughter of a prominent Australian horse racing identity – who tested positive to COVID-19 and has been in quarantine at her eastern suburbs home. She refused this newspaper’s request for comment, as too did a group of prominent Sydney stockbrokers and financiers.
Originally published as Hotelier Marcus Levy’s positive diagnosis rocks Sydney’s rich set