SCOTTISH Tory leader Jackson Carlaw has stepped in to defend the First Minister after backlash followed her coronavirus press briefing this afternoon. 

Nicola Sturgeon left the emergency Cobra meeting to give a planned conference with her Health Secretary and chief medical officer. At the briefing the First Minister advised the Scottish public that we have left the containment phase of tackling the Covid-19 outbreak and entered the delay phase. 

READ MORE: Coronavirus: Piers Morgan furious at Nicola Sturgeon press briefing

The SNP leader revealed Cobra's new advice is to self-isolate for seven days if you experience a cough and fever, and set out Scotland-only measures like a plan to call off mass gatherings of more than 500 people and stop school trips from going abroad. 

However as her press briefing came before the Prime Minister's, there was anger among some journalists.

The Mail on Sunday's Dan Hodges accused Sturgeon of "playing stupid political games", and went on to accuse her of "deliberately undermining" the UK's attempt at a united front in its response to the outbreak. 

Meanwhile, Piers Morgan reacted furiously. He wrote: "Why am I watching Nicola Sturgeon reveal COBRA decisions before the British Prime Minister? What the hell is going on????" 

A number of other figures got involved in the online backlash, with one newspaper's deputy editor claiming her press conference was a "borderline coup d'etat".

However, some Scottish Conservatives have stepped in to urge calm and call out the "unnecessary squabbling".

Carlaw tweeted: "Both the Prime Minister & the First Minister have convened relevant, measured and appropriate media conferences updating respective populations on #Coronavirus and immediate consequential actions. This is neither a competition nor a subject for unnecessary squabbling by others."

And Paul Masterton, former MP for East Renfrewshire, wrote: "1. FM is entitled to go straight to press conference after COBRA + not a surprise. If it annoys you you could suggest to PM he does likewise."

Adam Tomkins MSP also stepped in, calling on people not to get "their knickers in a twist".

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon's coronavirus briefing grabs overwhelming support

He wrote: "People getting their knickers in a twist about the choreography of press announcements are seriously missing the point. For the love of God let’s not make this, too, into a constitutional process story."

Earlier, Buzzfeed political editor Alex Wickham had said the UK Government was scathing of the First Minister's move.

He wrote: "Govt figures scathing over Sturgeon preempting UK Cobra announcement — then announcing Scottish-only measures that she admits are not based on science Source: 'She is a total disgrace. This is a nationalist politician playing populist politics with a global crisis'"

Tories were not the only ones to come to the First Minister's defence. 

Westminster correspondent for The Scotsman, Paris Gourtsoyannis, joined in. He reminded people: "Schools and emergency services are devolved. Sturgeon would have to announce and implement whatever was decided at Cobra. There’s nothing to stop PM giving his own briefing now."

And Joanna Cherry - one among many SNP figures showing her support - replied to a tweet asking what Sturgeon thought she was doing to say simply: "Her job?"