(Bloomberg) -- Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he’s determined to hand over Singapore “intact” and in “good working order” to the next generation of leaders, predicting the coronavirus crisis will “weigh heavily” on the nation’s economy for at least a year.

Speaking Monday ahead of general elections on Friday, Lee said it’s unclear how the pandemic will end, noting that Singapore’s “biggest challenges lie ahead of us.”

“We don’t know how the pandemic will end or whether a lasting solution will be found in a vaccine or more effective treatment,” Lee said in a virtual rally posted on the ruling People’s Action Party’s Facebook page. “We face a continuing danger to public health.”

Polling on Friday takes place against the backdrop of a pandemic that has infected nearly 45,000 people, mostly migrant workers living in tightly-spaced dormitories. The government’s response to the virus has played a prominent role in campaigns midway through the election cycle.

A “good government” is needed to curb the virus, support the economy and get the country out of the crisis intact, Lee said. “Our response will determine the future,” he added.

Singapore needs to attract new investments by maintaining business confidence so companies “will not lose faith in us in a crisis,” he said.

Lee has signaled his intention to hand over power to his successor -- tipped to be Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat -- by 2022. By then, he will be 70 years old.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.