A health-care aide whose death is linked to a COVID-19 outbreak at Victoria General Hospital was a leader of his community, his friend tells CBC News.

Jean Claude Dianzenza, 61, leaves behind a wife and nine children, Bijou Makela said.

"He's a good father, good husband, a role model in the community," he said.

Dianzenza served as president of the Congolese Association of Manitoba. Before coming to Canada, he worked as a banker in Congo.

Public health officials confirmed the death of a health-care worker earlier on Monday.

"One of our own has fallen," Manitoba Shared Health Chief Nursing Officer Lanette Siragusa said at a news conference on Monday.The president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 204 told CBC News the health-care aide worked on the fifth floor, where outbreaks have been declared in two units.

"This is very devastating to us. This is going to cause a ripple effect across the health-care system," said Debbie Boissonneault.

Boissonneault questioned whether the aide was adequately protected at work.

"You have people at work and they're wearing masks, they're supposed to be protected and we feel that they're not being protected," she said.

Makela, whose wife also works in health care, said the death of his friend is "shocking." He said his friend was diagnosed eight days ago and died on Friday.

"It's scary that could happen to somebody providing help, but he couldn't get the help that he needed," Makela said.

The Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals issued a statement expressing condolences on the death of the health-care aide and calling for increased safety measures for health workers.

"While we may work in different parts of the health care system, we are all health care and we all care about each other, especially during this COVID-19 pandemic that has become so deadly in our province," said president Bob Moroz in the written statement.

The outbreak at the hospital was first declared on Oct. 22. As of Nov. 9, 68 people had become infected as a result of the outbreak, and eight people have died, according to provincial data.

Siragusa said 44 health-care workers tested positive for COVID-19 in the past week: 36 in the Winnipeg health region, five in Southern Health, two in Prairie Mountain and one in the north.

The health-care workers who tested positive included 22 nurses, four doctors or doctors in training and 15 allied health or support staff. Three haven't yet been identified.

Boissonneault said everyone, including the government, needs to step up and do better.

"We need to protect people every day and not wait for someone to pass, in the workplace. Nobody goes to work not wanting to come home," she said.